Don't Ever Let Me Go
by RaiFloyd
Summary: Katie and Freddy have always looked at each other just as brothers and sisters and nothing more. But when something tragic happens Katie is forced to live with Freddy's family. What will happen under that roof?
1. Default Chapter

A/N: A new SOR FIC! Yay! Okay, well just read and review. Thanks. Don't Leave Me      

Ch 1 – Bad Day Just Got Worse

"Guys, I can understand why you want to go, but why do I need too?" Katie whined while pratically being dragged in the mall by Tomika.

            "The dance slash prom is coming up. And you need a new outfit," Alicia said to her looking her up and down, "I wonder what colors fit you best."

            "Earth to Alicia! Haven't you guys noticed? I **don't** go to dances or proms. Never have and never will. They're stupid and a waste of money," Katie frowned.

            "Oh come on. Lighten up," Summer said walking ahead of the group which was Marta, Katie, Tomika, and Alicia.

            "Yeah, well since you're my **best friend**, I could've at least expected you to help me out, but nooo! Not even best friends will help when their best friends are in trouble," Katie said grumpily.

            "You are not in trouble and besides it's not that. It's just that – you need to lighten up. It's as simple as that. And don't get mad at me because you haven't had your first boyfriend or first kiss," Summer smirked walking through the mall. Katie pouted; it was true. Sixteen years old and hadn't even had a first kiss. Boys were intimidated by her because she was a tomboy. They didn't think that she was feminine enough with her sweats and her oversized shirts and her hair always tied into a high ponytail. And because her current high school didn't require uniforms, Katie dressed the way she pleased. It wasn't her fault she didn't want to dress like an air-headed bimbo.

            "I wonder," Marta turned to Katie, "Have you even had a crush?"

            Of course Katie did. Tomboy as she was, no girl living for sixteen years could not have a crush. She  considered whether telling them or not because she knew if she told them they would bug her  asking who it was and if she said no, well they'd think she was lying and still bug her. Either way, she'd be bugged. Finally she said, "Yes."

            "Who?" Tomika narrowed her eyes while still gripping Katie's shoulders tightly making sure she wouldn't run away.

            "Rather not say."

            "It's the past, right? So what does it matter now?" Marta asked.

            "Because things in the _past_ can make you embarrassed in the _present_," Katie said annoyed, "Just drop it."

            "Just tell us. Puh-lese?" Alicia pouted. Usually, Alicia could get whatever she wanted from anyone she wanted with her famous pout, but Katie knew a trick: just close your eyes or avoid looking at her.

            "No," Katie said firmly. Then the group suddently stopped in front of a store called Forever 21 and Katie never looked so relieved to see a store in her life, "Oh look. Time to shop. Let's go!"

            "Okay you got out of it now, but it won't happen again," Alicia narrowed her eyes at her, "Hmm….I'd say a nice darkish brownish, light brown, tannish, beige thing would look good on you. Goes great with your light skin."

            Suddenly, Summer had grabbed a silky beige blouse and Marta handed her a pair of beige capris with an embroidery of a rose to match. "Try these two on," Marta said and pushed her into the fitting room.

            "I'm not doing it," Katie said stubbornly, "Can't I just please go to Game-Stop? I heard they got a new release in the Final Fantasy series."

            "Not until you try that on," Tomika said. Katie sighed and two minutes later she came out of there still frowning.

            "Damn girl! You look hot," Alicia said walking around her analyzing it. If Katie didn't know any better, she'd say that Alicia was some kind of secret fashion designer.

            "She's right," Summer nodded in agreement, "You should buy it. Better yet, I'll buy it for you since it's on sale. And you better wear it."

            Marta went up to Katie and turned her so that Katie was facing the mirror, "You can't tell me that you don't look good cause you do." Katie had to agree. She actually looked like a girl; and a good one at that. '_Maybe this isn't SO bad, but I still hate shopping,'_ she thought.

            "Hey Katie? Your phone is ringing," Tomika pointed to Katie's jeans that were shaking because of the vibration.

            Katie walked away from the mirror to her jeans and picked up the phone, "Hello?"

            "Miss Katie Brown?" a male voice on the other line questioned.

            "Yes…" Katie asked suspiciously, "Who is this?

            "This is Detective Kenwood from the Criminal Investigation Services. I need you to come to your house now. I'm afraid we have some bad news concerning your father, Mr. Micheal Brown."

Katie felt her heart stop and almost didn't want to ask cause she didn't want to know, but she knew she had to, "What? What's wrong?" Her eyes started to water and her face started to turn pale.

            "I think it'd be better if we met you in person to tell you," Detective Kenwood said, "See you at your home." And then Katie heard the phone click which meant he had hung up. No, she thought, no no no no!

            "Katie? What's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost," Summer patted her shoulder.

            Katie didn't answer but ran back into the fitting room and changed into her sweats. She couldn't just run out of the store wearing something that didn't belong to her. As soon as she stepped out, "Summer, I need to get home. Please. I really need too. There's not time for explanations, we have to go."

            Summer knew that Katie wasn't just making this up to get out of a shopping fit, "Okay. Let's go."

As soon as Summer had dropped her off at the curb, Katie ran to her home and gasped. There was yellow tape  surrounding her house that said, 'Police Line. Do Not Cross'.

"Katie Brown?" a familiar voice questioned her from behind. She turned around, "I'm Detective Kenwood." Detective Kenwood was a bald, middle aged African American with a gray mustache. He held out his hand for her to shake. But she didn't shake it. She was too worried for formal greetings right now.

"What happened? Where's my dad?" She asked quietly, but it was evident that she was worried – her heart was slowly crumbling to pieces. Tears were starting to spill from her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

            "Listen Katie, I'm afraid –" Detective Kenwood hesitated. How do you say this to a girl you don't even know? He thought, "I'm afraid your father is dead."

            Katie widened her eyes and something took over her. More tears started to flow and she started to sob uncontrollably. All of a sudden she grabbed ahold onto Detective Kenwood's coat and shrieked, "What do you mean he's dead? He can't be dead. He promised he wouldn't leave me – no, not yet! Where is he? Tell me RIGHT NOW!"

            "I can only imagine what you must feel. But believe me, all details will unfold. For now, I want you to come with Sally McField, a specialist in our agency who is here to help you and to explain things to you."

            "No!!" Katie screamed at him, her eyes bloody red, "Not until you tell me what happened to him! And where he is!"

            "Katie, honey, calm down," Sally McField said soothingly.

            "CALM DOWN?! I **CAN'T** JUST CALM DOWN! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE HAVING A PERFECTLY GOOD TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND THEN YOU GET A CALL AND THEN WHEN YOU GET THERE, YOU FIND OUT THAT YOUR DAD – THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE LEFT IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD – IS GONE!? AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU! SO DON'T CALL ME HONEY!" Katie yelled frantically. By now, all of the people at the scene were staring at her.

            Suddenly, Katie felt a piercing pain in her arm and soon everything turned black.

**A/N: That's it for now. Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you.**


	2. Reality

A/N: Thank you for reviewing!

Ch 2- Reality

            Katie slowly opened her eyes and felt a little pain in her right arm. _'Something doesn't feel right,'_ she thought. She made a movement on the bed and realized that this wasn't her bed. Her bed was much softer then this and then she looked at the walls, and they were pure white while her walls at her home were full of posters of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.

            Slowly she sat up and that's when everything that had happened yesterday hit her memory: her father was dead. Suddenly, she could feel the tears starting to flow again and she started to cry quietly. _But where am I?_ she thought looking around. She stood up and went to the bathroom where she found Quality Inn shampoos and soaps that meant she was in a hotel. But what happened to her? The last thing she could remember was feeling something sharp poking her arm and then she blacked out. More importantly _who_ brought her here?

            "I see you're awake," a female voice said. Katie turned around and found Sally McField standing at the bathroom door, arms crossed against her chest, "Katie we need to talk."

            But first Katie asked, "Why does my arm hurt so much?"

            "You were losing control yesterday so we gave you a shot to fall asleep, now come here," Sally motioned patting the seat next to her on the couch.

            Normally, Katie would've stayed where she was, but she knew that Sally had all the answers she wanted so she sat down on the bed while Sally pulled up a chair, "Now your father has his own gun show right? He makes guns?"

            Katie nodded in response.

            "Well, two nights ago, on Friday, you had slept over at your friend, Summer's house, correct?"

            Once again, Katie nodded, "Where is all of this going?"

            "Look Katie. Your father is in a very dangerous business – selling weaponry. And though he has a license to do it, and it's not against the law, there are criminals out there who would want to steal his guns; your father is very successful when making guns, Katie.

            "We have reason to believe that after your father had dropped you off at Summer's two days ago, your father had gone out to do some grocery shopping and when he came home, there were signs of forced entry. Your father came in, there were two burglars and before your father could do anything, they shot him in the chest and stole all of the guns he had made that he keeps in the basement. At least that's what we think their motive was," Sally McField finished. Katie sobbed some more and held her head in her hands; it was worse now. Because of her, her father was dead. Because she just _had to go_ sleep at Summer's house that night, her father was dead. It was all her fault.

            "It's all my fault," Katie sniffed, "It's all my fault!" She cried more and Sally pulled her into a bear hug and rubbed her back like a mother.

            "Shh…" Sally tried to calm her down, "It's not your fault. Don't you ever think that."

            "But it is!" Katie shrieked, "If I didn't go to Summer's that night, I could've at least tried to help my dad stopped them."

            "Or you yourself could've also gotten killed," Sally said firmly, but soften up a bit when Katie started to cry more getting her shirt soaking wet.

            _It's just not fair, _Katie thought, _God had to take my mother even before I knew her and now he just had to take my father too? IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!_

"Well," Katie started sniffing and wiping her tears, "What's going to happen to me now? Where am I going to live?"

            "I was just about to tell you that," Sally said handing her a tissue which Katie blew her nose on, "In your mother _and_ father's will, it stated clear that they wanted you to live with their best friend – I believe her name is…Sarah Jones." At the sound of 'Sarah Jones' name, Katie shot up like a fire bolt.

            "WHAT!?"

            "Fredster, we need to talk," Freddy's father, Johnathan said. Fredster was his nickname for Freddy – often when they would go and watch baseball games together Johnathan would always scream, 'They scored! Give me a five Fredster!'

            "Uh-oh. What'd I do now?" Freddy groaned picking at his baked potato on his plate.

            "Why is it that every time we want to talk you always say that?" his mother, Sarah said.

            "Because, you start with the lines, 'Freddy we need to talk' or 'Honey, we need to talk'. If it has the words, 'we need to talk', it means there's something wrong or I'm in trouble," Freddy said not looking up from his plate.

            "Uh…not exactly," Mrs. Jones or Sarah said glancing at her husband for signs of help.

            "Well um…" Mr. Jones started, "You know how you've known Katie your whole life – well her whole life because her parents are our best friends?" _What the heck does this have to do with anything?_ Freddy thought, but nevertheless nodded in response.

            "And you know how you two have sort of been best friends? Like brother and sister? Especially when your band started?" Mrs. Jones said.

            "Yes…" Freddy eyed his parents curiously. What was wrong with them and why were they acting so strange?  "Where is this all leading to?"

            _How do you tell your 16-year-old son that one of his best friends who is a girl is going to live with him and be like one of the family? _Sarah thought and looked at her husband who she knew was thinking the same. Deciding that being direct was the best way to go she said quickly, "Honey, Katie's going to live with us."

            Freddy choked on the big chunk of potato he just swallowed and started coughing hysterically. Panicking, his father immediately moved on in and did the Heimlich maneuver. Finally, Freddy spat it out where it landed all over the table, "WHAT?!"

            "Well err…you see," Mrs. Jones started not sure what to say.

            "You see, Freddy's father passed away two days ago," Mr. Jones said in a sad tone. After all Michael Brown was his best friend since the 9th grade! "Katie just found out yesterday. And you know she has nowhere to go. Besides, it's written in her father _and_ mother's will that she'll live with us – and we promised that if anything happened to them or her, we'd always take care of her."

            Freddy stayed silent. _Poor Katie, _he thought. He had always thought of her as his little sister that he loved to pick on and he knew that she looked up to him as an older brother. He didn't understand why everyone around him always said that he and Katie made the perfect couple, but this was bad. For as long as he knew Katie, which was her whole life and almost his whole life, she had always wondered about her mother who had passed away when Katie was born and sometimes she would cry – crying for the loss of her mother and wishing she was there. _'And that was someone she didn't really even know,' _Freddy thought, '_Imagine how she must feel that it's her father – someone who she confides with and who is her best friend.' _As you could probably tell by now, Katie and her father were extremely close – sometimes they even finished each other's sentences.

            But not only was Freddy sad for Katie, but he was also said for himself. He remembered how Mr. Brown who he had permission to call Mike helped him and gave him advice about girls when Freddy was too shy to go to his own father.

            "W-w-when is she coming?" Freddy asked still shocked.

            "Tomorrow, most likely. We've already decided that she'll stay in the guest room and she can make it her own," Mrs. Jones said and rubbed her son's back affectionately, "We know that your sad as just as much as we are. Mike was a good – no, **_great_** friend."

A/N: Okay, another chapter. Never thought I'd be able to do it. **Okay, please review.**

**Shout outs:**

Pineapple cube 

**Shalei**

**Nanners-77**

**Lizzie**

**Wiseoldman**

**Swimmerkitti**

**Scary-girly**

**Lover del dragon**

**Blondie02**

**Xo Miss Riley Xo**

**Tmrwspromise**

**The Drifter**

**Wtf2**

**Shortstack215: yeah I hate shopping too, which is why I put that in the story. Lot of this fan fiction reflects on myself and my life and the way I look at things.**

**i-dream-of-blue-eyes**


	3. My Eyes Burn

CH 3 – My Eyes Burn

            Katie lied in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. The whole day she had been busy packing and crying and eating. But tomorrow, she'd move in with Freddy and his family. At first Katie had freaked out but as she thought about it she realized it wasn't so bad.

            _I guess it's not SO bad that I have to live with Freddy. It's not like I have any close relatives anyway, _Katie thought yawning,  _And it's not like I like Freddy or anything. I've always looked at him as a brother. And it won't be so awkward cause I've known him all my life and I even slept over his house when I was little so it won't really matter._

            Katie couldn't fall asleep. Even when she tried to close her eyes and just stay still, she'd see images of her father or images of her mother. She had pictures, you know. But Katie couldn't stand it – her thoughts would always instantly change – from living with Freddy to her father's death and then again, to her mother's death.

            But she had been crying so much that she even almost fainted from lack of water when she was eating lunch. She just missed her father too much. She even missed how when he would yell at her when she stayed up too late or how he would tease her everytime she missed a note in her bass playing.

            Let's face it; Katie was a miserable wreck..

            "Katie," Sally gently slapped her arm, "Katie wake up." Katie slowly opened her eyes to the bright sunlight that entered her room. And for some reason she felt angry. How dare the sun come out when her father was murdered? How dare the sky be clear blue when she had no one to go too?

            Katie slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. They were burning from all the tears she had cried. She had known that the day would come when her father would pass away, she just didn't expect it to be so soon. Not making a sound, she ignored Sally and went to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth, took a shower, and came out not looking like such a wreck that she was.

            "Come on," Sally said picking up some of Katie's bags, "We got to go. Mr. And Mrs. Jones are already waiting for us." Katie nodded and took some of her bags and carried her bass case and amp.

            Freddy snored and rolled over clutching and hugging his pillow close to him. He was such in a deep sleep that part of him knew that he was even sleeping and the other part was trying to get him to wake up. "Freddy, wake up," Mrs. Jones shaked him. He didn't budge an eyelid. "Freddy! Wake up!" She shook him more roughly.

            Mrs. Jones sighed and picked up the Sex Pistols CD and placed it in the CD Player. Then she cranked it up to the highest volume possible and placed the headphones on Freddy's ears. In a second, the song 'Pretty Vacant' was playing and Freddy awoke faster then a heartbeat, "I'M UP! I'M UP!"

            Mrs. Jones laughed at her son as she pulled off the headphones, "I knew that would work. Come on, get ready. Katie's coming today and I don't want you snoring in bed dreaming about Natalie your girlfriend."

            Freddy groaned, "Hey, how do you know about that?"

            "I'm your mom. I know everything. Plus, I saw you guys holding hands and not to mention giving each other a good night kiss?" she smiled and pulled the curtains aside so that sunshine came in and caused Freddy to squint his eyes. "Greet the day!" she said in a singsong voice and started humming 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' by the Beatles as she went outside of Freddy's room and down the stairs. Freddy's mother wasn't quite into rock, but she did listen to some appreciating music like Eric Clapton, The Beatles, The Eagles, The Monkees, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, and Chicago.

            Freddy pulled his butt out of the bed and managed to drag himself to his bathroom where he freshened up. Then he went back to his messy bedroom and actually cleaned it. Normally, Freddy wouldn't have bothered, but since Katie was coming today he made an exception. She always hated it when she came over and his room was such a mess and usually Freddy did it to bug her, but since she had gone through so much he decided to lay low a bit.

            After he finished, he went downstairs and found his father tuning his guitar, "Oh darn. This guitar always seems to go out of tune on me. Stupid nylon strings."

            "Then why don't you just buy a new one?" Freddy asked pouring himself some orange juice, "With better machine heads?"

            "Because it's interesting. I look at this as a challenge," Johnathan Jones said moving a head piece, "Making it in tune. Everytime something goes wrong in your life Freddy, look at it as a challenge. And I know you're competitive so that shouldn't be a problem."

Freddy rolled his eyes; his father was always into new things and he could never turn down a challenge so everything that went wrong with no logical explanation, he took as a challenge. His father was the optimistic, laid-back kind of guy. Not like those business men always in suits and talking on their cell phones. That's what Freddy liked about his dad; just a regular plain ol' guy who was a mechanic. But then again his father was also a pig, messy, and disorganized while his mother exercised daily, had a nutritious diet, cleaned everything, and was extremely organized. Not to mention she was a realtor. Sometimes Freddy couldn't understand how they even survived dating, but he guessed it was because of the law: Opposites Attract.

So obviously, while Freddy's personality came from his father, his blond hair and blue eyes was all from his mother.

"Whatever dad," Freddy said taking a bite of some pancakes that were already prepared for him, "Eat breakfast yet?"

"Nope. But I'll be happy to join you," Johnathan said putting down his guitar and taking the seat opposite his son, "You know, you're so lucky you're on summer vacation."

"Well it's not like you've been going to work either."

"That's just for today cause you know – Katie's coming and all. Got to make her feel welcome. Can't just leave her here with you. God knows you're not sensitive enough," his dad teased.

"True," his mother agreed. "We're just taking one day off work. It's not like I have any enthusiastic clients who want to buy a house  and spend over $500,000 this second." She took a sip from her coffee, "Nothing like a nice cup of warm coffee."

"So Freddy, tell us about Natalie," his dad smiled and gave him a wink, "Give us _all _the details. And I mean all."

"It's not like she's my first girlfriend Dad," Freddy said chewing his eggs, "And dad, that's disgusting."

"I know, but why can't we ask? We have a right to know. Frankly, I'm _shocked_ – just _shocked_ that you didn't even take the time to tell your poor old parents that you had a girlfriend," Freddy's dad acted offended and placed a hand over his heart, "It hurts – right here."

Just then the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Mrs. Jones said. Freddy and Mr. Jones ran up to her, the three of them standing there at the door made it look like picture perfect. "Okay, this is it," Mrs. Jones squealed sounding all excited, "I'm gonna have a daughter!"

Freddy rolled his eyes and sighed. _My mom, _he thought. In one swift move, Mrs. Jones opened the door and there stood Katie Brown, not looking like the wreck that she was.

            Katie sat in the back of the car trying to stay calm. Back at the hotel she had taken a shower and washed her face so that it wouldn't look like she had been crying all night. Her eyes were as white as the clouds and not as red and puffy as they were and her cheeks were still their rosy selves. She had changed into a pair of baggy dark blue jeans and a plain gray shirt. Yep, she looked like nothing had ever happened.

            Though she didn't look like it, she was breaking inside. She was feeling angry, happy, anxious, excited, scared, and just plain sad all mixed into one. Angry at the murderers, happy that she moved in with people she actually knew and not some foster home, anxious, excited, and scared because, well she was _still moving in_ with Freddy.

Sure he was just like an older brother that was fun to annoy, but she couldn't also help the fact that he had been her first and only crush throughout her whole life. It was shocking, for a girl's first crush to be at fifteen, but oh well. But what was worse was then her crush had only ended a few months ago – she was scared that it would come back.

"Okay, we're here," Sally said and unbuckled her seat belt. She walked around the car and opened the door for Katie. Katie mumbled a 'thank you' and stood in front of the perfect house – a nice black gate, two front doors with oval-shaped glass, a nice porch, and a nice front yard with the rarest flowers. _Freddy has it all_, Katie thought, _lucky bastard._

Katie pushed open the little gate, and walked along the stone steps that led to the front door. It was strange how she had walked this exact same path millions of times before but it felt new and strange just now. _Yeah, that's because as soon as you walk through the front door, it's your home,_ she smiled at the thought, but frowned at the reason _why_ it would be her new home.

"This is it," Katie took a deep breath and pushed the doorbell.

After a couple of moments, the door opened and there stood the three of them, picture perfect: Mr. Johnathan Jones, Mrs. Sarah Jones, and Freddy Jones.

Sarah smiled and spread her arms out for a hug, "Katie!"

A/N: Just like Rockinbassgurl says: SHORT BUT POWERFUL! LoL (I love that quote.) Okay well I should get at least 15 reviews before I update! I know that sounds greedy but I've been getting 15 reviews for every chapter so far [I hope I didn't lose any readers!] **Please REVIEW!**

A/N 2: I know that Freddy's eyes aren't blue, but for some reason it's just easier for me to think of them that way.

**Shout outs:**

**KT**

**Pineapple Cube: Oh, I'm sorry about that. I have no idea how it feels like but I guess your review is helping me!**

**Iluvmyface: yes, I know what the ending is, but I can't tell you! Hehe..that's why you have to read. =]**

**Emily**

**Erikim92**

**Shortstack215: no problem, I read your story and reviewed.**

**Lizzie**

**Scary-girly**

**Tmrwspromise**

**Jamie**

**Kat L.**

**IndiazQT**

**Nanners-77: oh thanks for proofreading! Well not really proofreading, but you get it. Hehe.**

**Loverdeldragon: I know that most people portray him as this 'punkish' guy, but I'm not really into the whole punk, gothic, prep, stereotype kind of thing. Now, I know you're probably thinking, 'but you penname is sk8erpunkGCpnay', well my friend made that and I don't wanna lose any readers by changing it. So anyway, that's why I made Freddy sweet yet a BIT rebellious.**


	4. Realization

CH 4 – Realization

            Katie plastered on a fake smile and returned the hug. Then she hugged Johnathan, but paused when it came to Freddy. Freddy stepped forward and scooped her into his arms giving her a big bear hug, "Hey Posh."

            "Hi everyone," she said weakly. Freddy looked at her for a minute. Though she looked like it was just any other day and though she was smiling from ear to ear he knew it was just a show – an act. He looked at her eyes and noticed that they weren't sparkling with mischief like they usually were. She was heartbroken, sad, miserable, angry, and downright scared and only Freddy could see it. _Eyes are the windows to the soul,_ Freddy thought.

            "Freddy, why don't you take Katie up to her room while your dad and I discuss somethings with Ms. McField?" Sarah said scooting them towards the staircase. Freddy nodded and gently grabbed Katie's arm pulling her towards her room.

            "The guest room," Katie put down her luggage and smiled at Freddy, "I knew it."

            "Katie, cut the bullshit," Freddy said sitting down on the edge of the bed, Katie following him crossing her legs.

            "What are you talking about?" she asked.

            "Something is up. Quit it with the fake smile and the cheery voice," Freddy said in a firm voice but softened up when he saw her pained look, "It's okay to cry. You have good reason too."

            "I…" Katie knew she couldn't fool Freddy. She could _never_ fool him, except when it came to the card game BS, but when it came to faking it, she couldn't fool anyone from School of Rock – including Dewey. Her voice started to break and her eyes started watering, "Freddy, it's just not damn fair!"

            She pulled her knees and rested her head against her knees and quietly started crying some more. Freddy stared at her and then felt his heart breaking too. Whenever Katie was sad, he was sad. When she was happy, he was happy. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt like it was that big brotherly feeling he had for her. He came to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and her arms gently rocking her back and forth, "Shh…it's okay Katie. Let it all out."

            "I mean…he was **_my dad_**. He didn't do anything wrong. He was carefree and young. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to die!" Katie screamed into Freddy's shirt, "Why did he leave me? Why couldn't he just hold on and not let go? My father is gone! My mother is gone! I have **NOTHING**!" she screamed and sobbed some more.

            "Hey, hey don't say that," Freddy lifted her chin so that they were staring at each other eye to eye, "You have me. You have my parents. You have School Of Rock."

            "Yeah, I know. But it's just not the same!" She sniffed and let the tears run down her face not bothering to wipe them away.

            She sniffed and leaned into him getting his shirt all wet from her tears. "Oops," she said with no emotion, "Sorry about your shirt." She got up using her arms to wipe her face.

            "No problem. Got plenty more," he smiled down at her making her feel that at least there was someone there.

            "Well at least everything hasn't gone wrong," Katie said rubbing her puffy eyes.

            "What do you mean?" he asked her.

            "At least I ended up with family, you know. You are my family. We are really close, so in a way I do still have family. And at least it's summer and not school time. If we had school right now, I'd die from all the pressure," Katie smiled showing off her sparkling white teeth. Freddy looked at her and handed her a tissue. He liked it when she smiled. He was glad not all of them were fake.

            "Hey, let's head to Blockbuster and rent a movie," Freddy suggested, "Then we can watch it tonight."

            "Sure."

            When they returned from Blockbuster they found a note on Freddy's bedroom door.

_Yo Fredster,_

_Your mom and I had to go out of town for one night. Some kind of business thing of hers – really I don't understand why she just has to drag me along. But anyway, I left a 20 on the kitchen table so order out tonight. _

_            Love, Dad (the guy who rocks everyone's socks!)_

Freddy laughed at his dad. His dad was such a goofball. "Hey, I'm gonna go take a bath. Then maybe we can watch 50 First Dates?" Katie asked. Freddy nodded, "I'll go set up down in the living room. Oh yeah, my parents went out of town for tonight just in case your wondering and they left us a 20. Does pizza sound okay with you?"

            "No problem," Katie waved a hand over her shoulder and headed to her room to gather some clothes to wear after she would take a bath. A pair of  white shorts that went up about two inches above her knees and a black sleeveless shirt that said Led Zeppelin.

            She headed to the bathroom where she waited for the hot water to fill the tub. Then she gathered some bath salts and some bubbles. After that she gathered all the candles she could find and lit it, turning off the light and closing the shades. Then she took her radio and listened to the soft tunes of Chicago. Chicago was still rock – just not hardcore. It would seem surprising that Katie would know how to set up a luxirous bath, but it was just one of the things that not many people knew – except Freddy.

Normally she would've only taken a shower, but from all of the stress, she needed to wade in the water and just release all the pressure. Katie stripped off and stepped into the tub, "Ahh….this is the life."

            Katie thought about her new life. She hadn't even slept over one night yet and she felt like this was where she belonged. Katie closed her eyes and sank even lower into the tub and suddenly an image of Freddy smiling at her popped up. She opened her eyes and splashed hot water unto her face. _No, I am **not** going to like him again. NO FUCKING WAY! _She thought firmly.

            After about an hour of relaxation, Katie stepped out of the tub and dressed up, towel in her hand. She went down the stairs drying her hair, "Hey the pizza arrived."

            Freddy turned from the pizza and stared at Katie. His whole life he never saw any of her skin except her arms (which was only from the elbow and below), hands, face, and neck, but now that she was here in front of him wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, he had to admit that Katie was a babe – a total hottie.

She had creamy, white skin, completely flawless and she was very slim. Not bony, but slender enough. Not only that, but her black hair was cascading down a bit past her shoulders which was a bit messy and unruly, but because it wasn't tied into a high neat ponytail like it always was it gave her this sexy, seductive look. Sure she was a hottie, but she wasn't perfect – she still had some scars here and there. _Probably from football,_ Freddy thought staring at her up and down. _Wait. No. Katie is **not** hot. Freddy Jones you have a girlfriend. And not to mention Katie is one of your bestest friends. Remember that._

"What?" she asked looking up at him, "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Huh? Oh right. Nothing. Just thinking about something," he said glancing up ahead embarrassed that he had been close to getting caught. "So," Freddy said trying to change the subject, "Let's watch shall we?"

Katie nodded and followed him onto the sofa where Freddy had prepared numerous, comfy pillows, and layers of blankets. "You know, just in case we fall asleep. We got to be prepared," he joked sitting down.

"Yeah, we do," Katie laughed mildly sitting at the complete opposite end of the couch, She wasn't feeling too good about being near Freddy right now. _I knew it was a bad idea to wear what I would normally wear around my house, _she mentally yelled at herself, _now I feel so uncomfortable._

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Freddy cocked his head to the side in curosity, "Sit next to me."

As much as Katie didn't want too she scooted closer so that her head was leaning unto Freddy's shoulder and his arm was around her. _Maybe I shouldn't have asked, _Freddy thought feeling uncomfortable. Sure he had his arm around her plenty of times before but it was different now. Katie was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt! Now it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is for Katie! She looked drop dead gorgeous! And she didn't even know it! _That_'s something you don't see every day.

At one point of the movie, Freddy had felt the urge to kiss her. He didn't know _why _or even _how_, but he just felt it. And then he actually felt like asking her out, but he immideately dismissed the thought because it just wasn't….right. Since they were living together now, they were practically like brother and sister. And when a brother and sister even **_think_**doing that kinda thing – well…it's **just not** right!

Not to mention the fact that Freddy has a girlfriend who he just happens to like **_very much_** and he didn't want to cheat on her.

Then there was that other problem – he and Katie were best friends! They had known each other all their lives and if they ever got together and broke up, it would just throw away their relationship that they have had for **_sixteen_** years.

_Screw it,_ Freddy thought as he laughed at a segment in the movie hearing Katie's laughter along with him. He looked down at her for a brief moment and felt a tiny tug at his heart. He was happy that she was laughing [due to certain conditions]. _Screw the idea. Forget it. It'll **never** work out. Ignore the feeling. You have a gorgeous, beautiful, hot, smart, funny girlfriend! Think about her. _

_And plus, _Freddy convinced himself, _you never felt this way about Katie before. It's only because you saw her just now. It's just temporary. Yeah, that's it. It'll wear away and soon she's just gonna be your weird little sister. Yeah…okay. Yeah._

So for the remainder of the movie, Freddy thought about his girlfriend, Natalie, but was distracted when he felt something fall gently on his lap. He looked down and saw Katie sound asleep looking like the perfect angel that she was.

Freddy traced her face lightly with his fingertips trying to memorize it, but snapped out of it. He groaned in frustration and pushed a pillow unto his face, _Living with Katie is going to be harder then I thought._

A/N: Okay…so I didn't get 15 reviews, but I still got 14 and they were really nice so I'm happy with what I got. =] I shouldn't be so greedy! Oh and when you review, please tell me what you really think of this chapter. I think I messed up somewhere…oh and can anyone tell me where they live? Cause I'm not so sure.

**Shout Outs:**

****

Asphodel Oakburt 

SiennaR79 

**tmrwspromise**

**blueheaven79**

**S.S.I.**

**Pineapple Cube: **yes the third chapter was based on the Matchbook Romance song. I love that song! More importantly I love that band! =]

**Shalei**

**Angel: **well thank you. God bless you too.

Wtf2 

**M0rbidity: **well as you can see, I'm working on that little idea. In fact it was already in my head.

**Wiseoldman: **well when I say daughter, I mean it like daughter-in-law – but you're right. That sounds icky!

**Swimmerkitti: **why thank you! Yeah I hate it when I lose reviewers! [sighs] but it's all part of life yanno?

**Lover Del Dragon: **Always my most faithful, loyal, first reviewer! Thank you for sticking with me! =] =]


	5. Natalie

CH 5 - Natalie

            "No! You can't have him!" Katie screamed, tears pouring down her face, "Give him back!"

            "Huh?" Freddy slowly opened his eyes and found Katie beside him squirming and fidgeting. She was crying and she kept screaming, 'No, not him! Anyone but him!' Freddy soon realized she was having a nightmare. Freddy shook her and said, "Katie! Katie wake up!"

            Katie stopped moving and opened her eyes, "Don't let them take daddy away Freddy!"  She started sobbing some more.

            Freddy felt his heart break all over again. When she was sad, he was sad, remember? Freddy once again cuddled her shivering body closer and whispered sweet things in her ear, "It's okay. Shh...no one's here. Just me. Just you and me. It's okay. I'm here. I'll _always_ be here."

            And that's how they went back to sleep at 4 AM in the morning.

            "Aww…they look so cute together!" a familiar female voice squealed. Freddy slowly opened his eyes only to be greeted by the morning light. In front of him was the whole School of Rock band and crew.

            "That's right! You two just look SOOO cute together!" Zack said in a mock feminine voice pinching Freddy's cheeks. Freddy growled and Zack backed off, "Morning to you too!"

            "What are you guys doing here? How did you get in?" Freddy sat up, but then felt something pull him back down again. He looked beside him and saw Katie still sound asleep, her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his neck. Freddy looked up at everyone smiling down at him – he felt his face warm up. Freddy gently unwrapped her arms and stood up tucking Katie back in.

            "Your rents let us in. We just came to support Katie you know," Dewey said in a sad tone but suddenly started to grin, "But I see you have that department down."  Freddy took a small pillow from the lounge chair and playfully smacked Dewey.

            "And I have a girlfriend you know so it's not like that," Freddy said defensively.

            "Dude, I was just teasing," Dewey said, "But seriously how's she doing?" Everyone else stared at Freddy.

            Freddy sighed and shook his head, "Not so good. In the middle of the night, she woke me up because she was screaming and crying, but I don't think she knew it cause I think she was having bad dreams about Mike."

            Suddenly a small noise came from the couch. Katie stirred slowly and when her vision became clear she saw the whole School of Rock band and crew and she smiled. A real one, too. _My friends, _she thought, _Always there for me._

            Summer sat beside her and once again acted like a mother by tucking a stray piece of hair from Katie's face, "How you doing?"

            Katie sighed and rubbed her eyes, "I'm okay. I guess."

            "Well, we just came by to drop off this card," Alicia said handing her one. It wasn't your ordinary Get Well Soon type of card – more like a card that said 'We're Always Here For You No Matter What'.

            Katie sighed and laughed at some of the things that they had written, but then she sighed and her mood swiftly changed because she remembered _why_ they had written it. Dewey, being the sensible one spoke, "Well, we better get going. And I understand if you don't wanna come to band practice for a while. It's perfectly fine."

            "Thanks Dewey," Katie got up and hugged him. Dewey was surprised but soon hugged her back. His eyes were a little watery, "I better go before I start crying like a baby." 

"Here," Summer handed Katie a brown leather book that was filled with blank pages and a fancy fountain pen, "It's a journal. I figure your in your new life and you might want to write some things down when you can't talk to us."

            "Thanks Summer," Katie said and gave her a hug.

            Then Dewey turned to Freddy, "As for you, I expect you to be there at practice every day." Then Dewey leant in to whisper, "Take care of her."

            "Yes sir," Freddy gave him a mock salute and showed them the way out. When he returned, Katie was reading the card again and she was in a position where she was hugging her knees that only meant one thing: Katie was going to burst into tears again.

By now, Freddy knew her and her body language. When she would look at you for a long time, without smiling or frowning, it meant that she had bad news and when she would stare at you but smile; it meant that she had good news. And just how he knew that, he also knew that she was about to cry. Freddy didn't know why or how he knew this, but he just did.

            And just like he predicted, Katie bent her head down and started crying. Freddy rushed to her and once again comforted her.

            "I'm sorry Freddy. I'm sorry for being such a bother," Katie sniffed wiping her eyes.

            "It's no problem. I love having you here. It's better then you moving somewhere else where you can't be with us," Freddy reassured her and gave her a hug.

            Katie wanted to cry some more but she couldn't stand being seen like this; weak and insufferable. She wanted to be known as tough so she held her tears back.

            "Hey kids," Sarah stepped in and noticed something was wrong, "Katie, dear? You all right?"

            "I'm fine Sarah. I'm just gonna go…freshen up," Katie said and ran upstairs.

            Sarah sighed and turned to her son, "I'm so worried about her."

            "Same here Mom. But she's strong. Not as strong as me, but she's still strong," Freddy mockingly bragged.

            "Yeah but your definitely strong as your mother. Seeing as how I figured out this whole secret girlfriend thing. I don't get why you didn't just tell us. It's not like you haven't had any girlfriends before."

            "Are you mad about that?"

            "No, I just wish you'd trust us more. I can't wait to meet her," Freddy's mom said mixing some pancake batter for breakfast.

            "Well if you let me go on a date with her tonight, she can come tomorrow night for dinner."

            "Ok. Yeah, you're right. Give some time to explain why Katie's staying here," his mother nodded, "Remember curfew is at 11."

            "What are you all dressed up for?" Katie asked as Freddy stood in front of a mirror fixing his spikes.

            "Got a date tonight," Freddy said, "I hope you don't mind."

            "Why would I mind? Just cause I live with you doesn't mean you have to be with me 24/7. Have fun," Katie said retreating back to her room and she shut the door.

            Freddy looked in that direction and somehow he felt like he shouldn't have said that. _Oh no you don't, _Freddy told his heart, _we are not falling for her. No damn way._

            Katie sighed and silently yelled at herself. She could've sworn she had sounded jealous when she had said 'Have fun' a bit sarcastically. She was sitting on her bed and eyed the brown, leather book on the drawer. She grabbed it along the pen that Summer had gotten for her. She opened up the book to the first blank page. The journal felt like she was some distant traveler with it's leather bindings and it's ancient, crisp, pages.

            "What to write?" Katie asked aloud hitting her head with her pen to come up with ideas. Then as if someone lit a light bulb in her head, she started scribbling some things.

_Thursday, July 15, 2004_

I'm not going to say 'Dear Journal' or anything like that because that's just plain cheesy, but I guess I'll still write in here. I mean I do have emotions that need to be 'expressed'.

Well the current situation is that my dad...

            Katie paused. How do you write that down? My dad is dead. My dad has been murdered. It's so easy to accept, but to write it down…is a whole different story. It's as if she wrote it down, it would become official.

My dad…my dad passed away because of two idiots who broke in our house and just had to steal the guns my dad made. Why did my dad have to be in the weaponry business? Why couldn't he be something normal like Johnathan? A mechanic. Or a realtor like Sarah. Why'd he have to be a gun guy?

Well because of that, I am now living in Freddy Jone's house. Freddy is one of my good friends that I have always loved and I think I've known him ever since I was born. You see, my mom and dad were his mom and dad's best friends so it's only natural that he is one of mine. But lately, I feel…something different towards him. I don't want to call it a crush cause I don't want to have a crush on him – again. Having a crush on him before and not living with him was hard enough, but having a crush on him and living with him…that's something that's near impossible to get rid of. I hope it doesn't turn into anything too serious. I don't wanna mess up what we have. And I don't wanna move on.

Sometimes I wish I could just turn back time. Then I could've prevented the whole thing from happening! Then my dad wouldn't be dead, and I wouldn't be living with Freddy and feeling these things that I feel!! But I guess the only thing I can do is just deal with it. That's right…DEAL WITH IT.

            Katie dropped her pen and started crying. Writing about it was much harder then she thought but then she decided that maybe Summer had a good thing going on here. If Katie wrote in it every day, the fact that this whole escapade happened would be easier to understand and she could live life much easier.

            Freddy was sitting at Starbucks café with his girlfriend, Natalie Thomas, opposite him. Natalie was indeed a pretty girl. She had light brown, permed hair that went up to her elbows and she had a figure that would make guys whistle at her as she walked by. Her skin was creamy white and her eyes were an emerald green. Natalie was a nice girl – she was one of the more girly girls at Freddy and Katie's school, but not to mention she was extremely popular because of her looks. Just like Freddy was with his looks. The majority of the school looked at them as the perfect couple. Most wanted guy and most wanted girl together.

            But people – such as School Of Rock – had disagreed saying that Freddy had a much more compatible match. When Freddy would ask, "Who?" his fellow band members wouldn't tell him or they would lie and say, "I don't know but I just know it's not her or any of your past girlfriends."

            And that frustrated Freddy. It was as if they all knew something that he didn't. And he didn't like it when his family and friends knew something that he didn't.

            "Freddy? Is there something wrong?" she looked deep into his eyes as if she'd find the answer there, "You don't look like your having much fun."

            "No I am. Trust me. It's just my parents want to have you over for dinner tomorrow night," Freddy squeezed her hand.

            "You were worried about that?" Natalie giggled, "I don't mind coming over. I've wanted to meet your parents for some time. Especially since you've met mine already."

            "Well, there's something else," Freddy felt his heart beat faster, "It's about Katie."

            Natalie took her hand back and folded her arms against her chest. Katie. The sound of it was disgusting. When Natalie wasn't with Freddy, she would hear people say, "Why is Freddy with her? I thought he was dating Katie," or  "Katie's way better then her." And it pissed Natalie off. Katie didn't even know anything! She was all brains and no beauty! She played football for crying out loud and she didn't even wear lip-gloss. For heaven's sake, the girl couldn't even wear a nice pair of jeans. It was always an oversized t-shirt and jeans or sweats.

            "What about Katie?" Natalie frowned.

            "Well um…you see…uh…"

            "Freddy…."

            "She's living with me," Freddy said softly. He could already tell that she didn't like it. He knew she wouldn't. For some reason he wasn't aware of, Natalie hated Katie. He didn't know why and he didn't know why she should even hate Katie because Katie had nothing against her.

"She's what?" Natalie frowned again and stared at Freddy coldly, "She's living with you?"

"Well…yeah," Freddy nodded.

"It's only temporary right?"

            "No, she's living with me. It's almost as if my parents adopted her, which they didn't. I don't get why you should be so upset. There's nothing going on between her and me. I've told you about a billion times that she's like my little sister to me," Freddy said. That's not what you were thinking yesterday when you saw her in shorts and a tank top, his mind told him, but Freddy dismissed that thought.

            "Look," Freddy sighed not happy with the way his girlfriend was staring at him, "Katie's dad was murdered. And you know that my family is the closest thing she's got to family."

            At the news of Katie's dad, Natalie's heart softened up a bit. _That is awful, _she thought. "Okay, fine. I trust you," she gave in, smiled, leant over the table and gave him a light kiss.

A/N: Ahhh…another chapter done! Was this one longer? I can't tell, but anyway, hope you like! Please review!

A/N 2: I got a lot of reviews! Yippie! =)

**Shout Outs:**

**RockinBassGurl: **Arizona huh? My dad is thinking about moving my family over there and it's funny cause we just moved to where I am now. Hehe.

**Swimmerkitti: **yeah I guess with the uniform thingy…and pool-parties, but if she did go to pool parties, she'd probably just wear long shorts and an oversized black shirt. That's what I do…yeah I'm not so girly myself.

Strokes: if you based on your username on that band, just gotta tell you I love em! 

**Alyssongregg: **sorry about all the shoutouts, but I think I owe it to my readers to give them some kind of recognition, but I promise I'll work on making my chapters longer

**M0rbidity: **As you probably already know, Freddy's gf is Natalie Thomas

**SarahLou: **I know it seems like there aren't any major events, but even though it seems like it, trust me, it is.

**Pineapple Cube: **Yeah Freddy's dad is completely based on my dad. They have the same features and everything…except for the fact that my dad's not a mechanic. Hehe.

Banana4422 

**Summerlandgirl**

**S.S.I.**

**Lover Del Dragon**

**JustVisitingUKGirl**

KT 

**Wiseoldman**

Brooke 

**Miss mills**

**Sienna R79**


	6. An Angel's Voice

A/N: Yay! Almost 100 Reviews! Heh. You guys really made my day! =) **THANK YOU!**

A/N 2: In one of my past reviews, **Swimmerkitti** brought to my attention that Katie's journal entries were not in italics which is weird because they **_should_** be. So if the format gets weird or something, I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own the song Stairway To Heaven or the movie School of Rock or Led Zeppelin. =(

CH 6 – An Angel's Voice

Katie was lying down on her bed, staring at the ceiling, just drowning in thoughts of her dad. Usually when one of her deranged friends was so-called 'depressed', she'd just tell them to get over it. But she knew she never really could. _It feels like I lost half of me, _she thought. She was no longer crying, but her eyes were stinging like crazy.

And then just as she was about to start crying all over again, she heard some sweet music coming from downstairs. Even though she was all the way up in her room, she could hear the guitar strings perfectly and clearly. She smiled, _Johnathan's probably playing. _

She jumped off the bed and went downstairs into the garage where the Jones had made it their 'music' room. Freddy's drum set was off to one corner, and two guitars were placed on their stands. Next to Sarah's keyboard, she saw her bass and suddenly she remembered, _How could I forget my bass?_

To another corner, on a stool, was Johnathan Jones playing his twelve-string guitar to the tune of 'Stairway To Heaven'. Stairway to Heaven was Katie's and her dad's song. Her dad had told her that when she was a baby and she cried, all he had to do was pick up his guitar and play and sing 'Stairway To Heaven' and she would calm down.

Johnathan opened his eyes and saw Katie, "I knew you'd come down."

"Thanks for playing it. Sure made me a lot happier," Katie said and sat down on another stool and sighed deeply, "Brings back plenty of memories."

"Yeah, I figured. You know Katie," Johanthan started putting his guitar aside, "I remember when you were just a little toddler, you use to sing a lot. Almost every second of the day. And then you just kind of…stopped. Stopped music, stopped everything. Except for that song. And then fifth grade came, and that _wonderful _man Dewey, brought music back into your life. Why'd you stop?"

"I don't think I was aware that I stopped, but," she shrugged, "I honestly don't have any idea. I don't remember."

"Dad?" a voice was yelling, "Dad?"

"In here!" Johnathan shouted. Soon enough Freddy opened the garage door, "How did your date go?"

"Fine. A little…worrying, but fine," Freddy grabbed another stool and joined them, "So what did you two do?"

"Jam. Well sort of," Johnathan said, "We were just talking about how much Katie loved to sing."

"I never heard you sing," Freddy turned to Katie.

"You just don't remember, but that's okay cause I don't remember too," Katie laughed.

"I got a groovy idea. Freddy go call your mom and then the four of us can play Stairway To Heaven," Johnathan said retrieving his guitar.

Freddy stepped out of the garage to get his mom, but before he left he mentioned, "Dad, it's not the 70's anymore. Just so you know."

Katie laughed, but then got serious, "But there isn't a bass line to it."

"Who said you were gonna play the bass? You're going to sing," Johnathan said and handed her a mic and turned on the speakers.

"Oh, I really don't –"

"Come on Katie. It'll be fun. You know the words to it right?"

Katie nodded, still not taking the mic, "Well yeah."

"Then it's settled," Johnathan said and shoved the mic into her hands.

"I hear we're having a mini band session?" Sarah walked in and got behind the keyboards while Freddy took his place behind the drums.

"But Dad, there isn't a bass line," Freddy said gathering his drumsticks, "At least I don't think there is."

"Katie's not going to play the bass. She's going to sing," Johnathan smiled and looked at Katie who looked like she just got sentenced to the electric chair. _She's going to sing? _Freddy thought and laughed at the thought of Katie singing, _This is going to be interesting._

And then Freddy's thoughts were interrupted by the smooth, clear sounds his father was making on the guitar. Soon enough, his mother joined his dad, and the two sounds blended into one perfect harmony.

Then Katie opened her mouth…and Freddy's eyes widened in shock. Quiet Katie had a beautiful, remarkable voice. All that Freddy heard was sweet, angelic sounds coming from her mouth. She sang like an angel. She hit every note and not once did she forget any words or got out of tune. To Freddy, she was better then Tomika and even Whitney Houstin herself.

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold 

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven. _

_When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed_

_With a word she can get what she came for_

_Ooh Ooh_

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven_

_There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure_

_Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings_

_In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings_

_Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven_

Freddy watched her as she closed her eyes drowning into the melody of the song. Freddy couldn't take his eyes off her…he had never expected her to sing this well and to be so in touch with the melody. He didn't know what he expected from her, but hell, he didn't expect it to be this good.

Ooh it makes me wonder 

_Ooh it makes me wonder_

_There's a feeling I get when I look to the West_

_And my spirit is crying for leaving_

_In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees_

_And the voices of those who stand looking_

_Ooh it makes me wonder_

_Ooh it really makes me wonder_

_And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune_

_Then the piper will lead us to reason_

_And a new day will dawn for those who stand long_

_And the forests will echo with laughter_

If you didn't know any better, it would seem like Freddy was in a trance. Mouth hanging open, eyes wide, body frozen just staring at one thing and one thing only – Katie. In fact he was concentrating so much on her sweet voice that he almost missed the part where the drums kicked in.

If there's a bustle in your hedge-row don't be alarmed now 

_It's just a spring clean for the May Queen_

_Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run_

_There's still time to change the road you're on_

_And it makes me wonder_

_Your head is humming and it won't go in case you don't know_

_The piper's calling you to join him_

_Dear lady can you hear the wind blow_

_And did you know_

_Your stairway lies on the whispering wind_

Then Katie's voice faded out as Johnathan shredded the guitar with the solo that sounded as if Jimmy Page himself was playing. Katie took a deep breath as she prepared for the high notes that she was sure she was going to mess up on.

And as we wind down the road 

_Our shadows taller then our soul_

_There walks a lady we all know_

_Who shines white light and wants it show_

_How everything still turns to gold_

_And if you listen very hard_

_The tune will you come at last_

_And when all are one and one is all_

_To be a rock and not to roll_

_Ohh…_

"_And she's buying a stairway to heaven," _Katie ended the song and opened her eyes.

"Katie! That was amazing!" Sarah said walking out from behind the keyboards, "You could challenge Robert Plant himself!"

"I knew you still had the voice," Johnathan smiled and gave her a pat on the back, "You so rock dude!"

"Yeah Katie. Dang you got some nice pipes there! Why didn't you become one of our singers?" Freddy asked finally out of his trance.

"Because I wanted to play the bass," Katie said and felt herself turning red like a tomato from the compliment.

"Well don't tell Tomika this, but I think your way better then her," Freddy laughed.

"Thanks," Katie smiled.

"Well time for dinner. And Freddy you still have to eat even though you already ate outside with Natalie tonight. Besides, we're having pizza!" Sarah said and went to the kitchen, her husband following her which left Katie and Freddy alone – again.

"But seriously Katie, that was awesome. No offense, but I just…never really thought you had a good singing voice, but dang was I wrong! You had me in complete shock over there man," Freddy said excitedly, "I can't believe I never heard you sing before!" He still couldn't believe that it was Katie…the Katie who he had known practically his entire life who that beautiful voice belonged to!

"Freddy, I'm not _that_ good," Katie laughed and tried to cover her face.

"Oh you know you are. And is that a little blushing I see?" Freddy pinched her cheeks. And the two continued on laughing.

Freddy knocked on Katie's door, "Katie?" No answer came, so Freddy slowly opened the door and saw Katie sleeping peacefully. _She looks so vulnerable,_ Freddy thought tracing her lips softly with the tips of his fingers, _wait, what am I doing?_ Freddy snatched his hands back and whispered, "Katie? Katie wake up."

She budged, but not that much. Freddy shook her a little more. Slowly, her eyelids opened up and she yawned, "What?"

"Get dressed. Natalie's coming over for dinner," Freddy said standing up from the floor.

"She's what?!" Katie stood up completely.

"I said, Natalie is coming over for dinner."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hmm…I thought I did, well anyway just get dressed. She'll be here any minute. And what does it matter? Do you not like her or something?"

"I have no problems. I just wish you could've told me earlier," Katie got up and scooted him out the door, "Now out. I need to change." Not that Katie really changed. She had only been wearing an oversized shirt and some black sweats when she fell asleep. The only thing she really did was wash her face and tie her hair.

Katie came downstairs just when the doorbell rang, "I'll get it!" Katie opened the door and there stood Natalie, fashionable as always.

"Hi Natalie. Uh…come in!" Katie smiled welcomingly. Natalie just looked at her with a sour face and didn't respond. _Just because I feel sorry for what happened doesn't mean I have to like her,_ Natalie said to herself and stared at Katie up and down, _Shirt and sweats. How quaint._

"Nat!" Freddy came in from the living room, arms open and gave his girlfriend a hug and a light kiss, "I see you've seen Katie."

"Yeah," Natalie said not looking at Katie, but just walked on into the kitchen where Mrs. Jones greeted her.

"Is she okay?" Katie whispered to Freddy.

"Yeah, why?"

"Uh…nothing. Nevermind," Katie said taking a seat next to Sarah down at the dinner table.

As soon as they all took a seat and started eating, Freddy's dad immediately started popping questions, "So what kind of music you listen to Natalie?"

Natalie placed down her fork and put her hands in her lap, "I'm not really much of a music kind of person Mr. Jones, but I use to be in the school orchestra."

"Oh call me John. I hate it to sound old," Johnathan laughed taking another bite of his baked potato, "So what do you enjoy doing?"

"I guess…shopping. But that's what every girl likes isn't it?" She giggled.

"Yeah every girl except our little Katie over here," Johnathan playfully slapped Katie on the shoulder, "Hates shopping. Thinks it's a waste of time. And personally, I agree. Except it's for video games, or CD's or stuff like that."

All Katie did was nod and eat silently waiting for someone to say something. "Hey, why don't you and Katie go shopping together one time Natalie?" Sarah suggested, "It'll give you some time to get to know each other."

"Yeah, good idea honey," Johnathan said and looked at Natalie and Katie who were staring at each other awkwardly, "What do you two think?"

"Shopping…isn't really my thing," Katie said secretly praying that Sarah was just kidding.

"Yeah, I mean, if Katie doesn't want to, I don't think we should force her too," Natalie said trying to sound like the nice one.

"Just go," Freddy nudged Natalie, "It should be fun. I mean you like shopping and you usually like picking out clothes for other people."

Natalie glared at Freddy, "Yeah…okay."

After dinner, Sarah and Johnathan had gone to wash the dishes while Freddy went to the bathroom – which left Katie and Natalie to talk outside on the porch. Natalie, being the dominant, demanding girl she was faced Katie head on and directly. "Look, I know your living with Freddy and all and I know that you are really close to his family, but do anything inappropriate with him and I will make your life at school a living hell," she threatened.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. He and I…just always looked at each other like siblings! Anything like that would be…just…gross," Katie said firmly looking at Natalie like she was the craziest person in the world.

"Yeah well the only reason why I'm even taking you shopping is for Freddy so don't get use to it," she said coldly.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is because I've never done anything to you," Katie confronted her, "If you don't like me, you don't have to pretend you do in front of everybody else. And it's not like I want to go shopping either. For all I care, we could just say we did."

"Okay, fine, you're right. I **don't** like you. Not one bit. But cross the line with Freddy and I'll convince him to not like you either," Natalie said sourly and smirked at Katie.

"You can't control him," Katie said, "I think Freddy can speak for himself."

"Oh can't I? I have him wrapped around my finger," Natalie smiled, but suddenly sent death glares to Katie, "But just – back off."

"Hey ladies," Freddy opened the front door and joined them outside on the porch, "Socializing eh?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to go turn in," Katie got up from the swinging bench and entered the house leaving Natalie cuddling up to Freddy with his arm around her.

"Freddy, do you love me?" Natalie sighed into his chest and drank in his scent of vanilla.

"Of course I do," Freddy said but regretted it. _At least I think I do…_

"Good," Natalie said and held her head up to give him a kiss.

From her window, Katie stared at the couple feeling her heart being slowly cut into pieces. "I'm not jealous," Katie told herself and turned away from the window to her bed and to her leather brown journal.

_Friday, July 16, 2004 _

_Natalie came over for dinner tonight. She was being such a bitch. I don't know what her problem is, but she seems to think that I want Freddy. As if! Gross man. That's just…EWWW…._

_But then I can't deny that sometimes I look at Freddy and feel this tug at my heart and I start to blush uncontrollably and I start feeling happy…and such an in explainable feeling. I don't think I like him in that way…I think I'm just happy that he's there for me. And he's taken such good care of me lately; I can't help but feel like he's some sort of savior of mine._

_Is it wrong how I'm feeling? I feel guilty and awful. I…just can't stand it. Make it go away._

Katie shut the book, shut the lights and went into a deep slumber.

"Today's band practice," Freddy reminded her the next morning during breakfast.

"Oh yeah. I...forgot. Hey Freddy, could you tell Dewey that I'll just take a temporary break? I just don't feel like coming back just yet," Katie said, "I'll probably be back before school starts though."

"Sure, no problem. Take all the rest you need," Freddy said, "Well I told Zack I'd be there extra early today. I'll catch ya later."

Freddy stepped out the door and got into his silver Mini Cooper – a birthday gift from his parents. He drove down to Dewey's apartment and saw Ned and Dewey playing cards.

"Hey watcha guys playing?" Freddy asked and pulled out a soda from the fridge.

"BS," Ned said.

"Aha! You said BS! Okay man, you lose!" Dewey laughed victoriously.

"Dewey!" Ned laughed, "No fair!"

"All is fair in games and war," Dewey winked and turned to Freddy, "So why you here early today man?"

"Zack told me to come early. Said he wanted me to check out some of his lyrics. Oh and Katie said she won't be coming today or for a while actually. She'll be back before September 1st though," Freddy said taking a seat down at the table.

"How is she doing?" Ned asked, "I heard what happened. Must suck."

"She's doing fine, I guess. Not crying as much," Freddy sighed in relief, "Thank God too. I was afraid she'd like pass out from loss of water or something."

"Give her some time. She'll get better. Everyone knows how close she was to Mike an' all," Dewey said, "But in the meantime we'll have to get a temporary substitute bass player. Ned, would you like to do the honors?"

"Sorry Dewey, I can't. I'm just too busy. Along with my substitute job, I also have to teach those little kids how to play the guitar, and I also have to keep working at my relationship. Pam's starting to complain that I don't care about her or some crap like that," Ned said, "Says all I focus on is work."

"Well at least it's not Patty dude," Dewey said, "She was one wicked witch. I still get chills from the spine thinking about her."

"Yeah, well speaking of which, I have a date with Pam today, so I best get ready," Ned said and left the kitchen.

"Hmmm…bass player, bass player…where can we find one?" Dewey looked at the ceiling as if the answer would be written on it.

"How about me?" a squeaky voice said and stepped into the room.

"Hey Freddy," Natalie cooed and gave him a light kiss on the lips, "Hi Dewey."

"You? You know how to play bass?" Freddy and Dewey asked astonished.

"Well when I was in fourth grade, I did play the bass. The orchestra kind of bass, you know, with the bow and everything. Shouldn't be too hard since a bass guitar and a bass are related in a sense," Natalie said.

"Well, you have been coming and watching us lately…" Dewey considered, "And you have heard most of the bass solos Katie had. Sure, why not? Come with me, and we'll work something out." Dewey got up and Natalie followed him.

Pretty soon, Zack came in, greeted Dewey and Natalie and came into the kitchen where he saw Freddy's face flat against the table. "Freddy?" Zack stepped up to him and eyed him closely, "Are you dead?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?" Zack took a seat opposite him.

"Close the door," Freddy said.

"Whoa, this is gonna be juicy," Zack smiled at the thought and shut the door, "Now tell me what's up."

"Katie."

"Is something wrong? What happened?" Zack asked worriedly.

"No, nothing like that. She's doing fine exactly. It's something…different," Freddy moaned, "And it's driving me nuts."

"Ah," Zack grinned, "Matters of the heart. Don't worry Spazzy cause you are talking to _the_ master of love."

"You know, just because your relationship with Summer has been going on for about two years now – ever since high school started, doesn't make you know everything about love," Freddy said, "But go ahead, give it a shot. Ease my pain."

"First I need to hear some things from you. How do you feel about her?"

"That's the problem! I don't know _how_ I feel about her. One minute, she's my bestest friend in the whole world, another minute she's my little sister, another minute she's my older sister, another minute she's the sexiest girl alive, and another minute she's like…my air. Something I can't live without," Freddy groaned and rubbed his face, "I'm going insane!"

"Go on," Zack said listening carefully.

"Well it's like this. Remember that day you came over and saw us sleeping together? Well right then half of me felt like she was my little sister, something I needed to take care of and make sure was safe – away from pain. But the other half of me enjoyed me being next to her, hugging her, etc.

"And there are other times when I feel like that when she's sad, I'm sad or when she's happy, I'm happy. Then I feel like I can't live without her. And I find myself thinking what if she was home the day her father died? Then wouldn't she have died too? And I just couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

"And yesterday when I went to go wake her up, I found myself distracted, just sitting there _staring _at her, _thinking_ things I shouldn't be thinking! For crying out loud, I have a _girlfriend._"

"Interesting. And what does Natalie mean to you?" Zack eyed him.

"She's great! She's gorgeous, she's smart, she's everything I always hoped for or wanted, but I mean, she does have her flaws –"

"Well what about Katie?" Zack interrupted, "Doesn't she have flaws too?"

"Well yeah, I guess. But I don't notice…"

"So in other words, you see past all Katie's flaws…so you would say she's perfect?"

"I guess…yeah."

"Sounds to me like you like Katie more then you do Natalie," Zack said, "And it sounds like you may even love Katie."

Freddy put his arms on the table and just dropped his head on them and groaned, "Why must life hate me? WHY ME?!"

A/N: I know it definitely isn't July 16, 2004 today, but I just needed to keep the story flowing like it. Well please review! THANK YOU!

**Shout Outs:**

****

**Asphodel Oakburt **

**Tmrwspromise  
!  
Sandy-Pandy  
jamie-marie33**

**Miss Mills  
pauLine  
RKOandLEGS  
Pineapple Cube  
iluvmyface  
Wiseoldman  
nanners-77**

**Blueheaven79  
The Good Girl**

**Katemmalestrange: yeah, same here. People like Natalie bug me too. Actually Natalie is based on a person in my school who I just do not like.**

**SarahLou: So do i. Despite that blonde thing, I don't think anyone can really be that stupid.**

**Swimmerkitti: yeah I explained this already in my A/N before the story. I'd like to thank you for pointing that out.**

**SiennaR79: yes yes! It is your duty to review and mine to update! Lol**

**Lover Del Dragon: Wow, everybody keeps saying that Freddy is cute. He's okay I guess, but I just write these fics cause I think that Freddy and Katie are the best couple out of the whole gang.**

**=Kristi=: oh thanks! That's always nice to hear. =)**

**InAnMMMBop: Yeah I know what you mean. For me, when I'm bored I just pick any fic, but then they usually turn out good, so don't worry; I'm not offended.**

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	7. Replaced?

A/N: I didn't get as much as reviews as I hoped =(…but that's OK! At least we reached 100 and over! YAY! THANK YOU! OK, so sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I was sorta looking for inspiration and yes I know that the date is definitely not July 30, 2004, but again, it's for the plot. Heh.

CH 7 – Replaced

_Friday, July 30, 2004 _

_[sighs] This has got to be one of the most depressing days of my life. And I know it's only about 2 am in the morning, but I can't help it. I couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I'm trying too. How can I sleep knowing that this is the day my dad will go under the ground? Literally._

_So here I am, sitting on the bed with the lamp on, CD player on listening to 'Life Of A Salesman' by Yellowcard. This song reminds me a lot of my dad – and even though the words are related to those of a son – it brings memories of my dad and me. Makes me cry too. A lot. _

Katie paused and felt that familiar feeling in her eyes. Then all of a sudden she heard a knock on the door. Katie jumped in surprised and the door opened revealing Freddy with some Chips Ahoy cookies and a glass of milk. Katie wiped her tears and slammed her journal shut hiding it under her bed.

"What are you doing still awake?" Freddy asked joining her on the bed and placing the cookies on the end table.

"Couldn't sleep," Katie sighed and scooted over to make some room for him, "What are _you_ still doing awake?"

"Same thing, but I found eating cookies with a nice glass of milk helps. Childish I know, but it's what I've been doing since I was a little dude," Freddy said, "Want some?"

"Couldn't hurt," Katie nodded and took one, "I'll go get myself a glass of milk."

"Nah that's okay. Stay. I brought a straw anyway. You can drink out of the glass while I take the straw. Don't worry, I don't backwash," Freddy smiled and Katie laughed. Freddy stared at her a moment trying to make it a memory. He loved it when Katie laughed. She didn't do it so often anymore, but it was rare moments like this where Katie would be completely relaxed and it would make Freddy want to stop time so that her smile would last forever. Freddy grinned because he also had to admit to himself that he really liked the idea of him and Katie drinking out of the same glass.

"So how's the band doing?" Katie asked curious. She missed the band a lot. Though they visited to just watch a movie or hang out, she still missed jamming with them, but she just wasn't ready to go back. Everything reminded her of her dad; especially the band.

"We're doing okay," Freddy said neglecting to tell her about Natalie being their temporary bass player, "Billy actually stopped making outfits."

"What?!" Katie asked in shocked and almost fell out of the bed, "That's new."

"Yeah. Now that he's taking that extra summer course at that community college of cooking, he says that he'll be the caterer. Making our food and making sure we have a," Freddy used his fingers as quote marks, "healthy, balanced, nutritious meal."

"No way! Whoa I bet Dewey is relieved."

"So am I," Freddy chuckled, "But you know, Billy's not a bad cook. He might become the next Emeril one day."

"That'd be freaky though," Katie considered, "Our little Billy turning away from the fashion world and going into cooking."

"You know what's even creepier?"

"What?"

"He has a girlfriend," Freddy said flatly.

"WHAT?!" Katie laughed and this time she did fall out of the bed, "Whoa…head rush."

"Tell me about it. She came to band practice the other day. She's not exactly bad looking either," Freddy said laughing along with Katie but then his laugh started to fade away when he noticed the bulletin board above Katie's head that was on the wall filled with pictures of her father and the band.

"Hey, when did you put that up?" He nodded to the board.

"Only recently," Katie smiled at it, "It's nice isn't it? Looks like a collage. Marta and Tomika helped me with it."

"Yeah it's not bad. I can't believe how many pictures you have, but I have more," Freddy said and got out of the bed, "Hold on."

Katie waited for a minute and Freddy came back from his room with a binder that had photo protector sheets inside and of course, the photos.

"Sheesh, you got a million," Katie said retrieving the binder and noticing how thick it was.

"All the way back since we were babies," Freddy said and pointed to one picture of him and Katie as babies.

"You were so cute," Katie sighed mockingly, "What the heck happened?"

Freddy laughed, "I should ask you the same thing." Katie continued to flip through the binders that had pictures that were mostly of her and Freddy as babies, and then as she continued to go on, it was like time moving too. They started showing pictures of them as toddlers and then as little kids.

Katie stopped at one picture – it was a picture of Freddy kissing her on the cheek when they were about 3. She looked at Freddy who was red as a tomato, "I was THREE! Don't look at me like that!"

Katie laughed and continued to flip through the binder – one picture made her cry. It was of her when she was about 5 or so and she was sitting on her dad's lap, both of them smiling, "Hey Freddy? Can I keep this one?"

"Sure."

"Thanks," she said took the picture and posted it on her collage, "Looks even better."

"Yeah it does," Freddy agreed, "I'll be back. I'm just going to put this plate away."

"Okay," Katie yawned and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came back to her room, she got under the covers and immediately fell asleep.

Freddy came back up and before he could stop his actions, he was under the covers and his arms were wrapped around Katie's shoulders. _How the heck did I get here? _Freddy looked at Katie who turned around and wrapped her arms around him in return cuddling closer. Then Freddy smiled, _not that I'm complaining. _

Katie looked at herself in the mirror. Long black skirt, black, lacy, silk blouse. Sarah had curled her hair that day and had convinced Katie to wear little diamond earrings with a matching necklace and bracelet. Katie had only agreed – it was the least she could do at her father's _funeral. _This was no time to be stubborn.

Katie held back the tears and whispered to her, "You have to be brave. For dad." Katie slipped on some open-toe, black high heels that Sarah had bought for her and went downstairs to find Freddy sitting on the lounge chair staring off into space.

"Freddy?" Katie said.

"Huh?" He looked up at Katie and suddenly felt aroused, but hid it very well, "You look beautiful."

"Yeah. Wrong occasion though," Katie sighed and sat on the leather couch opposite him.

"Hey, you don't need to be brave," Freddy said gently and brought her chin up, "It's okay to cry."

"I've done enough of it," Katie said firmly and wiped her eyes before she started spilling streams of tears.

Katie looked at the man in the coffin and touched the glass that was above him as if she could get pass through the glass and hold his hand for one last time. She could feel her heart crumbling and her knees weakening. She whispered softly, "Dad."

Dewey came up behind her and gave her a good old-fashioned bear hug, "Thanks for coming." Katie said returning the bear hug.

"Anytime. The band is going to be here for you through thick and thin. Remember that," he said and started to tear a bit, "I'm going to miss him. You know, your dad was like the only one who accepted me at first after our first gig when I pretended to be Ned. He was a great guy – I really am going to miss him."

"So am I Dewey. So am I," Katie sniffed and ran before anyone could see.

That night when Katie had returned home, she cried her body, mind, and soul out and Freddy had been beside her, holding her frail body the whole time.

The next morning Freddy and Katie had been watching some home videos – like the Battle of The Bands, birthday parties, and stuff that reminded her of her dad.

"What time is it?"

"Around 11. Why?"

"Oh crap," Freddy said getting up and putting on his jacket.

"What?"

"Emergency band meeting," Freddy said, "Dewey had called earlier when you were asleep. But don't worry, I don't think you have to come. Just stay here and uh…relax."

"Thanks," Katie said and continued watching the movie.

"It's about time," Tomika complained, "We've been waiting for you all morning."

"Sorry," Freddy sighed and breathed heavily from all the running he did at the stairs, "So what's the emergency?"

"We're going on tour!" Dewey screamed and jumped up and down like a hyper little kid, "WE'RE GOING ON TOUR!"

"What?" Freddy asked. He knew what he had just said, but it sounded as if it came from his imagination.

"WE'RE GOING ON TOUR!" Dewey screamed jumping up and down nearly bouncing off the walls.

"Well apparently our first record is starting to sell! Not by much mind you," Summer said, "But just enough that the fans want us to go on tour!"

"And to celebrate, we're gonna have a party later!" Alicia screamed.

"WHOO HOO!" Zack joined in on the fun and started dancing. "This is it, babe!" He took Summer by the waist and started twirling her around, "Our big break!"

"So how long is the tour?" Tomika asked.

"Considering how you guys are on summer vacay, the tour will be only for about three weeks. You gotta be back before school starts though. I've talked to you 'rents already," Dewey said, "But our signing record company says that we have to come up with some new material for the gig."

"No problem. We have lots of it!" Marta said. Everybody nodded in agreement.

"I guess it settles it then: We're going on tour! Starting Monday!" Dewey screamed and everybody started partying.

Katie stepped outside of the car and waved Johnathan goodbye. She took a deep breath and stared at the building she was facing; Dewey's apartment – where the band practiced. After Freddy had left, she and Johnathan had talked and he had persuaded her to go so she accepted the offer and here she was now…practically hypervenilating.

She opened the gate, and climbed up the stairs until she reached a certain door. From the outside, she could hear loud noises – louder then usual and a bunch of screaming and yelling. _Are they having some kind of party? _Katie wondered.

Katie slowly opened the door and she saw everybody dancing around to the loud music that was on the stereo.

"Hi Katie," Summer said and suddenly the music stopped – the dancing stopped – and everyone just stood still.

"Hi…" Katie said and stepped into the apartment. She felt like a stranger to this place even though she wasn't – and everybody sure was acting like she was a stranger, "Aren't you guys supposed to be practicing?"

"Well we were…" Zack started out.

"But we decided to have a party because WE'RE GOING ON TOUR!" Billy screamed in a high pitched tone.

"Oh," Katie said plainly. Half of her was happy for the band – this is what they've been waiting for but the other half of her was a bit concerned because they didn't bother to tell her or to call her to come to the party. And the top of her worries, _don't they need a bass player? Why didn't they tell me? Unless…they got someone already._

"So who is playing the bass?"

"Well, uh, you see," Dewey said, "since you weren't here, Natalie's been playing for you." Dewey pointed to Natalie who was on Freddy's lap and she smiled what would seem like a friendly gesture, but Katie knew better. The smile meant that she won – she got the guy, she was in the band.

"Oh," Katie said again. She was slowly crumbling to pieces…it was like the band forgot about her. She turned to Freddy, "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Uh…well…I didn't think it was important," Freddy chuckled nervously. He could feel that Katie was hurting real bad and he didn't want to see her cry – he didn't want to be the cause of it. But he could also feel her anger and rage and her feeling of being betrayed in some way.

"Didn't think it was important? I'm the bass player of the band – I think I have the right to know if someone was replacing me or _something_," Katie said firmly staring deep into Freddy's eyes and then she raised up her voice so everyone could hear, "Why didn't _anyone_ tell me? You all had opportunities to say something."

"Because they didn't want to hurt your feelings," Natalie said in a somewhat snobby voice as she got up off of Freddy's lap and walked towards Katie, "You're not playing in the tour. You don't know the new material. You weren't here when we had practice. It's only fair that I get to play during the tour."

Silence followed for the next few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. It was like one of those old cowboy showdowns where the two people would just stare gravely at each other for some time before one would make a move.

"I'm outta here," said Katie struggling to follow the instinct to just punch Natalie, but she knew that if she did she would be just as low as her and that was one thing Katie did not want to be.

Katie walked out of the apartment and slammed the door shut behind her. She raced down the stairs and just as she was about to exit she felt a strong pull on her arm, "Just let me go."

"Look, Katie, I – " Freddy said releasing her arm.

"I don't want to hear it. I'll see you at home," Katie said not looking at him and walked out the door.

A/N: OK, part of me is saying that this chapter was corny and crappy. Oh well…I tried. Heh. Please **REVIEW**! And be honest…but don't be too harsh! Yes, I LOVE reviews!

A/N2: For some reason when I try to seperate different segments in the story, doesn't let me, so I just tried to space them out as best as I could, but that still didn't work. Anyway I hope you didn't get confused! And if anyone has tips on spacing, please tell me! Thanks!

**Shout Outs:**

**Brooke**

**SiennaR79**

**Emily**

**Nishia**

**Blondie02**

**Lizzy Clayton**

**S.S.I.**

**Pinkpixie**

**Miss Mills**

**The Good Girl**

**Swimmerkitti**

**Nanners-77: **hmm…fruitcake. I like that word – I think I'll use it sometime in the future chapters.

**!:** Actually the bass and cello have similar fingerings, so it's the same – I should know. I played orchestral bass but switched to bass guitar soon after. Heh. But thank you for pointing that out!

**Kate-Emma: **But you see, the fact that she does play bass brings drama and we need drama. Lol.

**Kevinsbabygirl04: **Yeah I don't think he would be such an asshole…otherwise no one would want him. That's my opinion.

**Lover Del Dragon: **Mini-cooper rocks! I have one – I need it. Living where I live is hard to find parking so yeah it's a necessity.

**Sarahlou: **The part where she was singing was original? Hmm…that's interesting. I didn't think it would be, but I guess it is. Thanks! =)


	8. I'm Sorry

A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long, but school started and there is so much to do. Stupid school. Ruins everything in life. [sighs] Anyway, here ya go! And remember to REVIEW.

CH 8 – I'm Sorry

"Katie, you can't keep giving me the cold shoulder," Freddy said desperately trying to make amends with her. "Dewey said that you could go on tour with us – you just won't be playing, that's all." It had been a week since the announcement of the tour. They're flight was leaving for California the next day.

Katie finally turned to him. "That's not it Freddy. You…lied to me. I mean, why couldn't you just _tell_ me that Natalie was replacing me? What was so bad that you couldn't tell me that she was replacing me?"

Freddy looked at her and admitted that she was right. There really was no harm if he had just told her before. In all honestly, he didn't know why he didn't want to tell her before. But now that he had lied to her it had just made everything twice as worse because if you really wanted to get on Katie's bad side, all you had to do was lie.

"For the last time, she is _not_ replacing you. She is simply just filling in for you for the time being. Why do you have to be so stubborn?!" Freddy said. "And I didn't lie to you! I just didn't…tell you when you asked that's all."

"ME?! The stubborn one?! And just to let you know not telling me is just like lying to me!"

"Yeah. You. And what do you have against Natalie anyway?"

"It's not me. It's **_her_**. You saw the way she looked at me and the tone of her voice back at Dewey's. And you're blaming me?" Katie sighed and put a hand to her temples and started rubbing them. "Ugh. I can't…I can't deal with this." Katie ran up the stairs to her room and shut the door. Her first instinct was to pull out her brown leather journal from under her bed. She went on the balcony and sat cross-legged in one of the comfy green lawn chairs. She stared out into the peaceful ocean and breathed the salty scent. '_So many memories,_ Katie thought and smiled thinking back to the days when she and her dad would always jog on the beach. Or actually when her dad would jog and Katie would follow him on a motor scooter because she couldn't keep up.

Staring at the ocean made her realize that her dad was a lot like the ocean. Beautiful, handsome, calm, and peaceful 99% of the time, but there were times when the storm would come and make the waves splash uncontrollably.

After her daze, she took out her fountain pen and opened her journal and began writing.

_Friday, August 6, 2004_

_Freddy is driving me nuts. In more then one way I might add. First, he goes off and practically LIES to me about Natalie and then he goes and calls me stubborn and says that I have a problem with her when SHE IS THE ONE who has a problem with me! _

_But then I can't help the fact that part of me is saying that I'm overreacting because I'm jealous. Jealous of Natalie. Jealous that she got to learn the new material and she gets to play on the tour! (I know I get to go on the tour, but I'm just going to be backstage. I won't be rocking out.) But I have to admit to myself that the real reason I'm so grouchy and just crabby towards this whole situation and Natalie is because she has Freddy. My feelings for Freddy have been growing by the second. No matter how much I try to stop them, they keep growing and growing._

_So all in all, I **hate** Freddy **right now**, but I **love**him as a **best friend**, but I **strongly like** him – **A LOT** – as a **boyfriend**._

**_DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

__

"Dude relax. Inhale…exhale. That's right," Zack calmed Freddy down.

"Your just freaking out – just take a breather," Lawrence advised Freddy. "And don't you think you're overreacting?"

"SHE," Freddy said pointing his finger to Katie's bedroom door, "Is the one who is OVERREACTING. NOT ME! NO SIRREE!"

"This is not good. You are aware that we are leaving to go on tour tomorrow right?" Lawrence asked him.

"Yes I know! And that is what is frustrating me! I can't leave on tour with this tension going on between her and me. It's bad enough that we already live in the same house – think about it when we're in the same tour bus – which is a LOT smaller. And…we actually sleep in the same room."

"Funny," Zack grinned. "I thought you'd rather enjoy the thought of sleeping in the same room with Katie."

"Would you get your perverted mind off of sex for one minute?" Freddy stared at him.

"But I'm right, right? You would enjoy sleeping in the same room as Katie. I mean it's not like you haven't done it before," Zack said.

"That was different! We weren't in a fight! For all I know while I'm sound asleep, she could get some kind of rope and strangle me to death!"

"Now you are REALLY overreacting. She can't strangle you. Don't forget – everybody is sleeping in the same room. Just different cots or beds or sleeping bags or whatever we're sleeping on," Lawrence said.

"Let's look at this from a different angle," Zack suggested staring out into the window and beyond. "Let's say you're not mad because of her being stubborn and as you say a bitch. Maybe you are mad at yourself because you neglected to tell her about it, but you are taking it out all on her because you are very stubborn and you care a lot about your pride."

"Well whatever the case," Lawrence said, "Me and Zack better go. We have to rest before we go on tour. But a word of advice – I suggest you apologize to her at least before tomorrow morning."

Freddy sighed. His friends were right. "I'll see you guys."

"See ya," they said and made their own way out of his house.

Freddy was standing right outside Katie's door breathing heavily. "Sorry Katie, I was a big jerk and I was just overreacting and I hope we can just patch things up…" Freddy recited. "Yeah that sounds good."

He knocked on the door, but no answer came. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly opened the door and saw Katie in bed hugging her pillow tight. Freddy stared at her for a second and he pulled up the chair from her desk and sat on it. He held her hand and part of him thought he was crazy for even bothering to do it.

"Okay well I know for sure that I am crazy apologizing to you in your sleep. But it sure is a hell of a lot easier this way," Freddy chuckled feeling really dumb. "You know Katie, I had this whole speech planned out. Just to say I'm sorry. I wasn't going to do it, you know apologize but Zack and Lawrence talked to me and I realized that I was wrong.

"I really should've told you. You deserved to know, but for some reason I didn't want to tell you and then the part of you calling me a jerk and stubborn – it's all-true. I just wanted to keep my pride so I turned the tables on you and that really wasn't fair. Especially after all you've been through – you of all people don't deserve that.

"And I know that this apology isn't going to make a difference, because for one your sleeping and that means your unconscious and you won't remember any of this, but it'll be easier on me when I apologize to you tomorrow morning – yeah, that's right – when you're actually _awake_," Freddy chuckled and flipped her hand over in his and started tracing patterns on her palm.

"I didn't want us to go on tour together and have this tension because I hate that. It would mean I wouldn't have any fun and when you go on tour you have to have fun. It's like the rule," Freddy still held her hand and was now tracing initials into it. "But I really do want you to come. I know it'll be different cause you won't be playing and I admit, that deeply sucks, but I still want you to come. And I hope that when I apologize in the morning, you'll forgive me."

Freddy stared at her sleeping form. His gaze started on her closed eyes, down her nose, and then settled unto her lips. Her full, strawberry-pink, plush lips. Freddy stared at them intently and was almost drooling. He imagined that her lips would be untouched – so that would mean that he'd be her first kiss. And he liked that idea _very much_.****

But he also imagined her lips to taste very sweet – like strawberries. They were the color of strawberries and he also remembered that Katie's favorite flavor was strawberries. And Katie was sweet. She was the girl next door. In a few seconds, he found himself leaning in to kiss her, but just before he touched her lips, he moved to the side and kissed her cheek. "Night Katie." Then he released her hand, but he felt something etched into it so he took her hand and stared at the palm.

Freddy's eyes grew wide and he quietly gasped. Scratched into Katie's palm was a big heart and inside the heart it said FJ KB = Y

Realizing that when he was talking to her he probably had scratched that into her palm with his nail. And he wasn't even aware of what he was doing. Wondering if that would leave a mark, he took his finger and started rubbing it out. But it didn't work – the mark only grew redder and soon it was popping out like 3-D style. '_Dammit. I forgot. Katie has sensitive skin so whenever I scratch it, it'll pop out, but it always goes away.'_ And with the thought of it going away, Freddy relaxed.

Shocked at what he had just done, he exited her room and went to his own.

When Freddy shut the door, Katie's eyes popped open and she smiled. "Don't worry Freddy. I'll forgive you tomorrow morning."

Then Katie looked at her hand – the one that Freddy had been holding and drawing stuff unto it. Whatever Freddy had written or drew, it was fading away fast. All Katie could make out was the letter 'J' and 'B'.

_JB? What the hell is a JB? _Katie thought but ignored it and returned to sleep.

Katie awoke the next day with a bright smile on her face. She took a shower and quickly dressed. Taking her suitcase in her hand, she went downstairs and saw Freddy pacing around muttering something.

"Hey Freddy," Katie said cheerfully. "What are you doing?" Freddy stopped in his tracks and looked up at her with a light blush on his cheeks.

"You're…talking to me?"

"Thing is, I'm just going to let this go. It's not even that much of a big deal," Katie said setting her suitcase next to Freddy's by the door.

"Well this is new," Freddy said staring at her with what seemed like pure shock.

"Come again?"

"The fact your just letting me go. Usually you'll give me the cold shoulder for about a month, then you'll explode and start cussing at me and then a week after that I'll apologize and all is right with the world again."

"Oh," Katie smiled. "Well I made an exception."

A/N: Okay, so nothing really important happened! But HEY! At least you got an update right? And plus, this chapter is just to prove that Freddy's starting to develop feelings for her…without really even being aware of it.

Yep, okay, well REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW! Oh and can someone please tell me if my story is really that sad? Cause some people say that they almost cried…that really wasn't my goal. I wanted it to be sad, but not _that_ sad.

**Shout Outs:**

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**Len2**

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**The Good Girl**

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**Thedoorsrock: **I love your pen name! The Doors DO rock!

**JustvisitingUKgirl: **[gasp!] You haven't been reviewing?! Lol, nah it's okay. I understand, but I'd like it if you'd review more. Hehe =) come on…you know you wanna! wink wink

**Warped-girl13: **Actually I really hate stereotypes – my friend got me into so she made up the pen name, but I'm glad you like it! Cause I like yours too! Too bad I'm so broke I can't afford to go to the Warped Tour. Lol =P

**Cellphonegirl: **you signed up just to review this story? I LOVE YOU and you SO TOTALLY ROCK DUDE! [or dudette…]

**ashley09: **In my opinion [or at least what I have known and experienced], a lot of guys are really blind to how they're girlfriend is really like. They're so caught up in their hormones that they can't see. I'm glad you noticed that. =)

**Amber: **You're a pinay? I am one too! =P

**RockinBassGurl: **I didn't know it was your name! I'm sorry! If I had only known I would've used something else! But there's this girl in my school and she's just like Natalie and her names Natalie…and she's dating my friend only he's too freakin BLIND to see what a witch she is, but yeah. SORRY!

**Swimmerkitti: **I know this is a real lame question to ask, but what's a Mary Sue? I kind of/sort of have an idea, but you seem to know a lot. Could you please explain? That'd be a great help. Thanks! =)


	9. A Lesson Learned

**Important Note: **A lot of people were concerned about the FJKBY thing. The 'y' was supposed to be a picture of a heart, but I guess doesn't process the font webdings. If you're still confused as to what I mean go to Microsoft Word or any program that supports the font Webdings. Then make a capital Y and a heart will appear. Sorry for any confusion.

* * *

CH 9 – A Lesson Learned 

That morning, as Freddy's dad drove them to Dewey's apartment, Freddy stared at Katie. Katie was staring out the window, but Freddy could still see her face. In the window, he could see her reflection and most importantly, her eyes. Her brown eyes which Freddy always seemed to melt in.

Freddy watched her closely and stared deep into her eyes in the reflection. He knew that you always read these types of things in novels where you could look into their eyes and tell what they're thinking, but Freddy couldn't. He tried again, but he couldn't tell what Katie was feeling. She seemed empty and calm and peaceful, but Freddy knew that she was probably thinking hundreds of things all at once. It was just who she was, who she has always been, and who she will always be.

"Stop staring at me," Katie said and turned around.

Freddy felt heat rising in his face and quickly turned to face the front. Out of the corner of his eye when he saw Katie's head turn back towards the window, he slowly moved his head so he could stare at her again. He didn't know when he suddenly liked to watch her so much, but he did. He noticed things about her that he didn't before – like how when she was angry, her cheeks would be red and her forehead would be creased. Or how when she was bored, she would stare off into space and dream.

"We're here," Johnathan said and got out of the car to fetch Freddy and Katie's suitcases from the trunk.

"Bye dad," Freddy said, "See you in a month."

"Bye John!" Katie said heartily and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"You guys better buy me a t-shirt!" Johnathan said and laughed. "Have fun!" With that, he drove off.

* * *

Katie and Freddy climbed the stairs to Dewey's apartment dragging their suitcases with them. When they came in front of the door, Katie took out her key and opened it.

"FREDDY!" A voice shrieked and as fast as the speed of lighting a creature sprung herself atop Freddy. Unfortunately, this creature was Natalie. Katie rolled her eyes and stepped into the apartment and looked around, "Where is everyone?"

"Well you three came early. You weren't supposed to be here till an hour later, but oh well," Dewey said pouring himself some coffee. "Want some?"

"No thanks. Coffee is going to stop my growth," Katie laughed and set her suitcases aside.

"Probably explains why you're taller then me," Dewey laughed and nodded towards the couch. "I see the couple is acquainted." Katie couldn't help but frown and turn away from the sight.

"Jealous?" Dewey said spinning his spoon around in his coffee while Katie took a seat beside him.

"No." Dewey looked at her – he wasn't nieve. In fact, he was still in his middle thirties so it just proved that he wasn't that old to not know anything either. Dewey sat back and studied the figure before him whose head was cradled in her folded arms on the table. _Insecure…tired…ignorant…_, Dewey thought, _she reminds me a lot of me when I was at that age._

"Yuh-huh," Dewey said in a 'as-a-matter-of-fact' type of voice.

"Nuh-uh," Katie replied and looked up. "What makes you think I am?"

"Experience," Dewey said blankly.

"AHA!" Katie pointed a figure at him. "So you _do_ have some of your own little love escapades! Spill it Dew!"

"Shh…" Dewey nodded towards the couple who were now kissing. "I don't want everyone to hear."

"Whatever," Katie said. "Just tell."

"Promise not to tell?" Katie nodded.

"Raise your right hand," Dewey stated. Katie rolled her eyes at him and gave him a semi-smile. "No, I'm serious. Raise your right hand." Katie raised her right hand despite the lameness of it all. "Repeat the following words."

"I, Katie Brown, bass player of School of Rock, promise not to tell what I am about to hear," Dewey said.

"I, Katie Brown, bass player of School of Rock, promise not to tell what I am about to hear," Katie repeated and slammed her hand back down, "Now will you please tell?"

"Well it all started…"

* * *

_17-year-old Dewey Finn stared at the couple before him with jealousy burning in his eyes – though he wasn't aware of it. In front of him was his best childhood female friend, Kayley and her new idiotic, stuck-up boyfriend Bradley. _'Bradley,' _Dewey scoffed, '_What's so great about him?' __

_"Come on Kayley! Hurry up! I don't have all day," Dewey muttered to himself. Watching the couple kiss an extremely LONG good-bye kiss was making his stomach turn and his eyes bulge. Finally, they parted._

_"Sheesh. That only took – forever," Dewey said impatiently as he and Kayley walked toward his van._

_"Lighten up Dewey! That's what happens when you're in love…you forget about time and just…I don't know," Kayley sighed dreamily and buckled her seat belt. "You'll find out one day when you're in love."_

_"Love is for suckers," Dewey said and pulled out of his parking space. _

_"How would you know? You've never been in love," Kayley defended herself._

_Dewey grunted and just stared ahead at the road, "How would **you** know? Maybe I **am **__in love, but things just aren't working!"_

_"Tell me who the lucky girl is!" The blonde squealed and laughed. "Dewey's in love!"_

_"I'd rather not say," Dewey said looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He sighed out of heartache. He felt like turning left and driving off the cliff. If he couldn't be with her in this lifetime, at least he'd be with her in death – where Bradley wasn't._

_The more Kayley laughed, the more Dewey felt pain and anger. He could feel tears threatening to spill out of his eyes, but he held it back. This just wasn't the time to break down and cry right in front of the woman you love._

_Confusion filling his body, he stepped a little bit harder on the gas pedal. "Hey!" Kayley jumped a bit at the speed. "Not so fast! We're not rushing or anything!"_

_Dewey sighed and ran a bit slower. "So tell me who the lucky girl is!" Kayley asked again._

_"I can't."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Lots of reasons."_

_"Like?"_

_"You may never talk to me again."_

_"Why would I do that? Do I not like her or something?"_

_"No, but trust me, you wouldn't talk to me again." I still don't get why you're talking to me now, Dewey thought, after all you have BRAD._

_"Tell me!"_

_"No!" Dewey said firmly, anger burning inside of him. He wasn't sure why he felt angry but he felt like he **should** be. That it was her fault that he was gloomy and miserable all the time. That it was her fault that he couldn't sleep at night because thoughts of her always entered his head. That it was her fault he couldn't bear to look at her when she was with Brad or else he would break down. That it was her fault he loved her. _

_"Come on!"_

_"No." _

_"Please!" _

_"NO!" Dewey shouted and stepped on the gas pedal full speed on the freeway. Next thing he knew, all he heard was the distant cry of 'DEWEY! WATCH OUT!' and all he saw was pitch black._

* * *

_Three days later, Dewey's eyes opened. He blinked and looked around. Then he heard voices. They were near._

_"The young boy survived…he's still unconscious but I guarantee you that he should be waking up soon. He didn't suffer too many injuries, just a broken right arm," a man said, but his tone slid down. "However…I'm not so sure about the girl. She's still alive, but she's unconscious as well. The only way to keep her alive is by keeping her plugged to the meter, but I can't guarantee that she'll wake up at all."_

_Dewey sat up. What were they talking about? Where was he? Was he the boy the doctor was talking about? Who was the girl? KAYLEY! _

_"What's going on?" Dewey spoke aloud, but his voice came out different. Like he hadn't been talking for ages._

_"DEWEY!" a woman said and pulled him into an embrace. "You're all right! You've finally woken!" _

_"Mom…it's okay, I'm here. W-w-what's going on?"_

_"Oh honey," Dewey's mother said and sniffed. "You were driving with Kayley and you got into a car accident –"_

_"Where's Kayley?!" Dewey asked urgency high in his voice._

_Dewey's mother pulled back the curtain and there lay a sleeping Kayley. She had scars all over her face and stitches adorned her arms and her legs._

_Dewey crept out of his bed and walked over to Kayley's. "Kayley?" he touched her cheek. "Kayley?! Wake up…if this is a joke, it isn't funny."_

_Kayley didn't move, but just stayed still. "Her parents told us to pull the plug," the doctor said. "I'm afraid…she's gone."_

* * *

_That night Dewey was still in his hospital bed staring up at the white ceiling. They had taken Kayley away to the morgue to prepare her for her funeral. Dewey looked at the empty bed beside him and for the first time that day, he let the tears flow freely. _

_The curtains were open and he was the only one in the room so he stared out into the dark nightsky._

_"I'm sorry Kayley," Dewey wept. "I'm sorry I got mad at you and got us into a car accident! I'm SORRY!" Dewey shouted at the blinking stars and the bright moon hoping that Kayley was up there listening. "But most of all, I'm sorry that I didn't get to tell you that I love you."_

* * *

Katie wiped the tears from her eyes, "Dewey, I'm so sorry!" She scooted closer and gave him a hug just like he had given her the day at her father's funeral.

"I…I never really got over it. Her death and all, but I've moved on and I'm doing okay," Dewey said. He was surprised at himself for not even letting a single tear fall free. "Just don't tell anyone okay?"

Katie nodded. "But what does this all have to do with me?"

"It's a lesson that you should know. A lesson that I learned a bit too late," Dewey said sadly. "You should tell him. How you really feel. Before it drives you crazy."

Katie bit her lip. "I think I already am."

A/N: Ok I know short chapter and it wasn't probably important, but I felt like I owed Dewey something…come on the man had to had some kind of life before School of Rock. Plus, this 'lesson' is going to have a big part and don't worry: I **promise **that they'll finally be on tour next chapter!

Please **REVIEW! **I should get _at least_ 30, thank you! XD

**Shout Outs:**

**Lenlen**

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**Swimmerkitti: **Yeah you explained it well! Thanks! )

**JustVisitingUKGirl: **Perfect! Thanks! ) lol

**SiennaR79: **Yeah I know someone who can do that…ME! Yeah I can write on my skin too and it will pop-out 3-D style. My friends are like, 'Do you cut yourself to do that?' And I'm like, "HECK NO! Why would I cut myself?" lol My dad said that when he was my age he had the same thing, but it went away when he turned 30 or something. Maybe it's in genes! Heh. Hm…call me crazy but you probably like cars huh? Judging from your pen name that is. SiennaR79 your favorite? Mine is a Nissan 350 Z. It's my dream car…apart from the Lotus Elise. XD

**AmeilaBedelia:** Aww…but if I had him kiss her believe me, I was tempted, it woulda ruined the whole story! Gahhand it should count that he was about to though. Hehe.

**Brooke: **No I'm not in college. I'm not even in high school yet! Lol Yeah I think we just start school early. I live in CA, USA

**t.i.n.k.a.h.h.b.el.l.: **Yeah I love his apology too! hehe

**Blondie02: **I don't know where I get these ideas. They come at random. I remember I was in church listening to a sermon and then the idea of this fic popped up. Weird huh? lol

**Dracosbabe41: **I can understand that you don't have time to review, but I'm glad you did – at least once. I'd appreciate it if you could do it more often though! )


	10. Believe Me Katie

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of School of Rock or Paramount Pictures. The record company mentioned, Island, is a real record company but I have nothing to do with them and I do not own them in any way. I also do not own the song Believe Me Natalie and I wish I even met the Killers, but no I don't know them either and am only using their song for a little part in the plot.This fic is not making any profit whatsoever so please do not sue me. Thank you. XD

**CH 10 – Believe Me Katie**

After a long flight and a delicious meal, School of Rock finally met up with the record company, island. School of Rock was to give concerts all around California for the month term. The record company, Island, would provide the tour bus and the money for the hotels.

Katie sat on her bottom bunk in the girl's section of the bus in the far back with Summer. "After all of our hard work, we're finally here," Summer smiled and inhaled deeply. "Ahh…the smell of success."

Katie laughed and threw a pillow at her. "FYI, you sound retarded."

"I know. But I can't help it! It's just so exciting!" Summer squealed and clapped her hands together like a little girl. "Imagine how it'd be when we're actually on stage!"

"Yeah," Katie mumbled and looked away. "How great."

Summer immediately slapped herself for what she had just said. "I mean…you know…I'm sorry Katie. I didn't mean that. It's just…"

"Don't worry about it," Katie smiled. "It's not that big of a deal. I mean it is our first show and I don't get to play at all because I don't know any of the songs and then worst of all it's _Natalie_ who gets to play and I just can't…" Katie's complaining started to turn into sobs and she buried her head in her hands. Summer sat down beside her, hugged her and rocked her gently back and forth.

"It's just not fair you know? I mean why did it have to be her? That bitch!" Katie screamed and huddled closer to her best friend. At that second, Freddy walked in with a smile on his face but it soon disappeared at the sight of Katie crying furiously.

Freddy leaned down and placed a hand on Katie's knee. "Katie, what's wrong?"

Katie looked up at him and cried even harder. She turned and ran into the bathroom. A second later Summer and Freddy heard a 'click' coming from the door indicating that she had locked herself in. "What's up with her?" Freddy looked at Summer.

"I think I know, but for now I don't think she wants to see you right now. Maybe you should just leave," Summer said quietly.

"Dammit," Freddy kicked the bunk. "I thought we were okay!" Freddy turned around and exited the girls' section closing the door.

"Katie you can come out now. He's gone."

The door slowly opened revealing Katie looking worse then the day her father passed away.

* * *

_Monday, August 9, 2004_

_We just finished a show in LA. Needless to say it was successful, but I couldn't bear to watch it. It was as if they had taken me along just for pity. I should've just stayed back home._

_Currently, we're on our way to San Diego which as you know, isn't very far from here. The band is scheduled to do another show there tomorrow night. After that, we're headed for San Francisco._

_Since that day that Freddy had caught me crying, I hadn't spoken to anyone except the girls and Dewey. I don't think anyone knows what's wrong with me. I don't even know what's wrong with me. I feel like I'm dying, but really I'm not. I eat regularly and I sleep for about eight hours a night so I look physically fine. But inside I'm breaking. It's a good thing Natalie sleeps in another section of the bus and not with me, Summer, Alicia, and Marta or else I might be tempted to kill her. I feel sorry for Tomika though because she has to endure Natalie at night. I can only imagine how loud her snores are._

_Well anyway I wonder if Freddy is even worried about me. He hasn't even tried to speak with me. And maybe he even forgot me…he seems to be spending an awful lot of time with Natalie. I can't help but think that he'll never know how I feel. Never. _

_Is this what it feels like to have a broken heart?_

* * *

Katie looked in the mirror that was hung on the wall above her and Summer's bunk. Nothing about her looked different. Except maybe the chapped lips, but that could be fixed in a jiffy.

Summer sighed as she watched Katie look in the mirror. "For the love of me, would you just please go and tell Freddy?"

"What?"

"Katie, I don't know if your aware of this," Summer sat cross legged on the bed looking at her, "but it's a known fact that everyone who has a brain thinks that you and him are meant for each other. Second, despite the fact that he is involved with Natalie, it's clear he doesn't love her as much as he loves you."

"Ok so you do know my little crush. But he loves her as a girlfriend and me as a sister. There is a difference."

"This is anything but a little crush. Ugh! How can you two be so freakin' dense?" Summer groaned and buried her face in the pillow. "If one of you doesn't make a move soon both of you are going to die. And I don't mean because of emotional 'heart-breaking' pain. I will personally cringe you two with my bear hands until one of you spills your undying love and devotion for one another!"

* * *

In the boys' section of the room, Freddy was playing a video game not aware that he was quietly singing 'Believe Me Natalie' by the Killers. However instead of using the name 'Natalie' he sang the song, 'Believe me Katie'.

Zack put down his Spin magazine and groaned. "Freddy will you STOP singing that song? You're getting on my nerves."

"I'm not singing anything."

"Yeah you are. And just to let you know the song is 'Believe Me _Natalie_' not 'Believe Me _Katie'._"

"Oh…" Freddy put down his Game Boy. "Heh. You're right. Whoa, that was weird. I wasn't even paying attention. It was like my sub-conscious or something."

"You never pay attention," Zack said picking his magazine up again and flipping through it. "Maybe except for band practice."

"Yeah," Freddy said while chewing his Winterfresh gum. He returned to his game but a minute later he started singing again.

"For the love of God!" Zack said and pulled the Game Boy away from Freddy's hands. "Will you quit?! Can you just please go in there and tell Katie you love her already? I'm getting sick of this. Day in and day out, during the night, you're always singing that freakin' song! Would you PUH-LESE just tell her?"

"Can't."

"Why?"

"Cause your talking crazy. Ain't nothing to tell," Freddy shook his head.

Zack's expression grew blank. "Uh…yeah! You LOVE HER!"

"Dude," Freddy chuckled like one of those surfers, "I got Nats."

"Okay, yes, well, you love Katie more. It's pretty damn obvious to everyone …maybe except to you and Katie, but I mean even DEWEY senses it. That's gotta mean something," Zack argued. "And what about Natalie? No one liked her anyway. You rarely talk to her anymore and the only time you even notice her is when she jumps on you and gives you a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek. Do us a favor and break it off with her."

* * *

"Look I already have problems with one girl. I don't need to have problems with another," Freddy said and snatched his Game Boy back. _But for once in his life, Zack's right. I do love Katie; more so then Natalie. I don't even love Natalie. Aww…crap._

While Katie and Summer were talking, Natalie was in the bathroom. From there, she could hear everything they were saying. _That little wiotch! Trying to steal my Freddy Teddy! _

The bathroom was on the side of the bus so when you exited it, you exited out into a hallway with two doors. One to the girl's section and one to the boys. She was about to go into the girl section and give Katie a piece of her mind, but she heard some yelling occurring in the boy's section too. Being the little nosy girl she was, she pressed her ears close to the door listening to Zack saying that Freddy didn't love her anymore, but was instead in love with Katie.

With each word, Natalie's anger started growing. She had to stop this nonsense between Freddy and Katie. She just had too. What right did anyone have to say that she and Freddy didn't go together anyway? What did they know?

* * *

A/N: I will be changing my pen name to **missbrightside** on Friday, October 29, 2004. So just to let you know. Please review. )

A/N: As for Katie's diary entries I have lost track of the dates, so please pardon that. Thank you.

**Thanks to my REVIEWERS you dudes/dudettes rock!:******

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**L2L**

**Seachel**

**BlacksouledButterfly**

**Marcy Bayd**

**IluvRockN'Roll**

**Ally124**

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**Blondie02**

**Tmrwspromise**

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**Ashley09**

**Lover Del Dragon**

**JustVisitingUKGirl**

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**The Good Girl**

**Swimmerkitti**

**Silverkid**

**Dracosbabe41**

**Blueheaven79: **Thank you! I appreciate the compliment! Yes, I live in California, but in the northern areas where it's cold and not so hot. I was born in LA though. And yes I am in the 8th grade. I hate, although my social life has gotten better. And what I mean by that is I actually have at least one friend. Yes, I don't know why, but kids really didn't like me last year. I have no clue why.

**Weirdo: **I'm in 8th grade. Just started 8th grade. It sucks. But then again, I really don't like school a lot…hehe

**Ameilia Bedelia: **I'm really glad you liked the fact that I gave Dewey some kind of background. Even though he's not as young as everyone else in the movie, he really is the main character. Heh.

**coolcat88: **Yes I'm Filipino. I'm guessing you are too or you wouldn't have been able to understand that. lol

**Rockn'rollprincess: **you know I was going to make a pen name that said punkrockprincess based after the song by sc. Heh


	11. Oh My God

**A/N**: I apologize for taking so long, but I've been very busy lately. But now that winter break is here, I'll update more often. I hope you'll still read and review. Thanks. XD

* * *

**Ch 11 – Oh. My. God.**

That night, Katie tossed and turned in her bed trying to fall asleep. In fact, she even put on her CD player listening to Queen hoping it would sooth her to sleep, but all it did was keep her awake. From tossing and turning so much, she was sweating and her heart was beating rapidly.

"I have to tell him," she whispered. "Or I'm going to explode."

She looked out the window and watched the road go by. Dewey was still driving which probably meant that Larry and Zack were out there helping him to navigate the road. Which meant that Freddy was in his room by himself.

Katie took a deep breath and looked at all the other girls sleeping quietly. Then she looked at the clock that told her it was 12: 13 AM. Carefully, Katie crept out of her bed and crawled on the floor. She reached for the door and soon enough she was by herself in the hallway of the bus.

She stepped up to the door that lead to the boy's room and paused.

Katie sat there for some time just meditating and praying. Meditating to relax and praying to hope that he would feel the same way for her once she made her confession though she doubted it. Taking one last breath and taking a flashlight from the cabinet, she went inside.

Using her flashlight, she scanned the room and just as she suspected all the bunks were empty except for one. The only thing was, the bump was far too large for it to be just one person under the cover…and Freddy certainly wasn't that big. Daring, but afraid to know, Katie slowly walked toward it, and lifted off the covers and…

"Oh. My. God!" Katie whispered loudly. Her eyes squinted and tears instantly started to flow down her rosy cheeks as she saw Freddy and Natalie sleeping together…without any clothes on.

Katie put a hand up to her mouth to stifle her sounds of grief and sorrow. She ran out the door and back to her bunk where she wrapped herself up and hugged her stuffed animal teddy bear, Twinkie. Ever since she could remember, she always had Twinkie. Her dad had told her that when she was still in her mother's arms as a newborn, he had run down to the gift store and bought Twinkie for her, and flowers for her mom. But that instant, her mother had started to show signs of blood loss. That was when Katie was taken away.

Thinking these thoughts, she hugged Twinkie even harder. Inalmost everyway, it was the only link between her, her mom, and her dad.

_Her dad._

Now more then ever, she needed her dad.

Quietly, she cried into the night wishing that her dad was there – or better yet, that she had never been born at all.

That way, maybe, just maybe, her mom and her dad would still be down here even if it meant that she wasn't.

* * *

"Freddy…" Natalie reached out for him as he got up and looked around. The clock said 1:02 AM. Luckily, Larry and Zack weren't there yet. Freddy looked at the peaceful, sleeping Natalie. She was his first and he knew that he wasn't hers. He had had sex education. He knew how a girl would be if she had her virginity, but he didn't feel it in Natalie. If anything, she was far more experienced then him.

To most people, it would be of shock that Freddy hadn't even gone so far as third base considering how many girlfriends he had dated. The furthest he had ever gone was French kissing and that was it. Otherwise, he was completely clueless to it, but Natalie had opened up the unlocked door. Of course, he loved what they had done just a few hours ago. It was full of pleasure and he felt things he never thought were physically possible. But he also felt that there was something missing. And now, as he looked upon her, he instantly regretted it.

_Why didn't I have more self-control? Why did my stupid teenager hormones get in the way?_

Freddy sat there recalling how he had been helping Zack, Larry, and Dewey navigate and how he had been cleaning up the pizza trays. It was about 10:35 pm when he said he wanted to get some rest. Yawning, he had gone to bed but felt another person in there.

* * *

_"Natalie? What the hell are you doing in here?" Freddy said and pulled off the covers. Natalie was only in her underwear – lacy black panties and a lacy black bra. Being a 16-year-old hormonal male teenager, the sight of her in what she was wearing or rather, what she WASN'T wearing got him all excited._

_"Well…I thought that maybe…we could take our relationship to the next level," Natalie suggested in a seductive tone. She came unto Freddy and started to kiss him passionately and that was when… _

_

* * *

_"I lost control," Freddy sighed and scratched the back of his head. Contrary to popular belief, Freddy wanted to lose his virginity to someone special. Sure, Natalie was his girlfriend, but she wasn't his 'someone special'. 

There was something else. Like someone else was there. Not during it, but AFTER it. I was sleeping and I think I heard someone come in the room…I saw a light…and then I heard crying and the person was gone. Was it a dream? Or was it real?

Freddy shook his head and put on his clothes. He nudged Natalie to wake up. "Nats, you gotta get out of here before anyone catches you," he said and shoved all her clothes…or rather, underwear into her arms.

"Hmm?" she lazily opened her eyes only to realize what had just happened. She smiled at the thought of it. Surely Freddy wouldn't leave her for Katie after that. "Oh yeah. Well, see you in the morning sweetie," she winked and kissed him on the lips.

Freddy ignored her and just went back to bed wishing that everything that happened was just a dream and nothing more. But in his heart, he knew, that it was real. Terribly real.

* * *

**A/N**: If you like, you can check out my new SOR fic: **Crashed The Wedding**. Yet another Katie/Freddy thing. I just love that couple. Obviously. XD Please **review**! My fate rests in your hands!

**Shout Outs:**

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